Ali Sattari - Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Taheri - Department of Medical Genetics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Background and Aim: The importance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in initiation and progression of breast cancer has been well established. This population of cells is characterized by high expression of CD۴۴ and low expression of CD۲۴. However, the relative abundance of CD۲۴ and CD۴۴transcripts in breast cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCTs) has not been quantified yet.Methods: In the present investigation, we assessed expression of CD۲۴ and CD۴۴ at transcript level in breast cancer tissues and ANCTs in association with clinical determinants of patients’ outcome and parameters that predict response to therapeutic options.Results: There was no significant difference in expression of CD۲۴ and CD۴۴ in breast cancer tissues compared with ANCTs (Expression ratios: ۱.۰۳ and ۰.۸۴, P values: ۰.۹۲ and ۰.۶۱, respectively). However, CD۴۴ expression was associated with tumor size in a way this gene was up-regulated in all of small sized (≤۲ cm) tumors compared with the corresponding ANCTs (P value=۰.۰۴). Besides,CD۴۴ expression was significantly higher in tumors with extracapsular nodal extension compared with those without extension (P=۰.۰۴). Expression of CD۲۴ was higher in grade ۳ tumors compared with grade ۲ tumors (P=۰.۰۴). Expression levels of CD۲۴ and CD۴۴ were correlated with each other in ANCTs but not in tumoral tissues.Conclusion: The current study shows another aspect of CSC markers in the development of breast cancer.

CD۴۴, CD۲۴, breast cancer