title: The effects of spiritual intervention and changes in dopamine receptor gene expression in breast cancer patients.
abstract: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in Iran and in most of the developed countries. Studies have shown that having chronic stress in individuals predisposes several types of cancer including breast cancer. Research results showed that spiritual factors correlate with indices of physical consequences such as heart disease, cancer, and death, so do psychiatric conditions and changes in receptor gene expression in depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction. Different studies demonstrated the role of neurotransmitters in occurrence and progression of cancers. They affected cells by their various types of receptors. An effective gene in mental and physical conditions is Dopamine receptor. Accordingly, the study was conducted to evaluate effects of psychotherapy (spiritual intervention) on changes in Dopamine receptor gene expressions in breast cancer patients. 90 female volunteers, including 30 healthy individuals and 60 diagnosed with breast cancer, considering exclusion criteria, were selected for the purpose of the study. The breast cancer patients were further categorized into experimental and control groups of 30 each. Blood samples were collected both prior to and following the spiritual intervention to analyze changes in their dopamine gene receptor expressions. We observed that DRD2-DRD4 in the control group (breast cancer patients) PBMC increased compared to healthy individuals. Also, DRD2-DRD4 in intervention group PBMC decreased compared to the control group and to even lower than those of healthy individuals. The findings were of great significance in management and treatment of cancer because they revealed the possibility of using alternative treatments (e.g., spiritual interventions) apart from conventional medical treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Esmael
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Akbari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psycho-oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Farah Lotfi
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Kashani
authors.affiliation: Medical Laser Research Center, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahangari
authors.affiliation: Medical Laser Research Center, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Majid
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pornour
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran.
authors.forename: Hessam
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hejazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psycho-oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Elah
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nooshinfar
authors.affiliation: Department of Language, Aryanpour Institute, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kabiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Psycho-oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran. leili.hosseini@gmail.com.|Cancer Research Center, Shohada Hospital, Tajrish, Tehran, Iran. leili.hosseini@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Leili
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9913-5057
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hosseini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics*; D026443:Spiritual Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine
keywords: Breast cancer; Dopamine receptors; Gene expression; Spiritual intervention