Document Type : Original Article
Authors
- Maryam Hamidinia 1
- Mehri Ghafourian Boroujernia 2
- Abdolhassan Talaiezadeh 3
- Ghasem Solgi 4
- Maryam Taghdiri 1
- Ali Khodadadi 1
1 Department of Immunology and Cancer Research Center
2 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine
3 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz
4 Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
Abstract
Background: Regulatory T cells (T-regs) have an important role in cancer by suppression of protective antitumor immune responses. Regulatory T cells express the forkhead/winged helix transcription factor (FOXP3) and OX40 molecules which have important regulatory roles in the immune system.
Objective: To evaluate FOXP3 and OX40 transcripts in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of women with breast cancer.
Methods: Blood samples from 40 women with histologically-confirmed infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast and 40 healthy volunteer women without a history of malignancy or autoimmune disorders were collected. The abundance of FOXP3 and OX40 gene transcripts were determined by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).
Results: There was a significant positive correlation between FOXP3 and OX40 gene expression in women with breast cancer in a stage dependent manner.
Conclusion: This finding emphasizes the importance of T-regs as predominant targets for breast cancer immunotherapy.
Keywords
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