Heterogeneity of premetastatic niche gene expression in breast cancer cells

Abstract

Aim. To investigate the expression of the TGFB1, TNF, CSF1, CSF2, VEGFA and HIF1A genes in the patients with invasive breast carcinoma of no special type considering the intratumoral morphological heterogeneity. Methods. The technology of laser capture microdissection PALM was used to isolate five types of morphological tumor structures from three patients with invasive carcinoma of no special type (IC NST), luminal A subtype, T1-2NxMx. The level of expression of the cytokine (TNF), growth factors (TGFB1, CSF1, CSF2, VEGFA) and the HIF1A genes was assessed in the samples obtained using quantitative real-time PCR. Results. The study demonstrated the absence of the expression of the growth factor CSF2 gene in tumor cells of IC NST, and the expression of the CSF1 gene, independent from the metastasis status and tumor structure type. The prevalence of the expression of the VEGFA and TGFB1 genes was revealed in the alveolar and solid structures along with the rare expression of the TNF gene. Conclusions. The expression of pre-metastatic niche genes in the tumors of patients with IC NST is heterogeneous. The hypoxia-mediated change in the cytokine gene expression may be expected in the alveolar and solid structures, which ultimately results in the formation of microenvironment, facilitating tumor growth and the formation of tumor metastatic potential.