[Expression of chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor (CXCR4 and CXCR7) in different molecular subtypes of human breast carcinoma and the clinical significance].

OBJECTIVE: To study the expressions and the clinical significance of chemokine CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4, CXCR7 in the human breast carcinoma (BC) with different molecular subtypes.
 Methods: The mRNA expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in tissues from 80 patients with different molecular subtype of BC were measured by qRT-PCR. The protein expressions of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in paraffin-embedded samples from 160 patients with different molecular subtypes were detected by immunohistochemical staining.
 Results: The mRNA expression levels of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CXCR7 in HER-2 positive BC and TNBC tissues were significantly higher than those in luminal A and luminal B subtype BC tissues (all P<0.05), but their expressions were not different between luminal A and luminal B subtype BC tissues or between HER-2 positive BC and TNBC tissues. The positive expression rates of CXCL12 protein in HER-2 positive BC and TNBC tissues were significantly higher than those in luminal A and luminal B subtype BC tissues (all P<0.05), while their expressions were not different between luminal A and luminal B subtype BC tissues or between HER-2 positive BC and TNBC tissues.

CONCLUSION: High expressions of the gene CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 and CXCR7 in HER-2 positive BC and TNBC may be closely associated with their poor prognosis. Inhibition of their expressions in HER-2 positive BC and TNBC may provide a strategy for treating BC in clinic.