Expression of melatonin receptors in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in African American and Caucasian women: relation to survival

摘要: In the normal rodent breast, pineal hormone melatonin controls development of ductal and alveolar tissue. Melatonin counteracts tumor occurrence cell progression in vivo vitro animal human breast cancer cultures. It acts predominantly through its MT1 receptor. Our aim was to investigate presence or absence receptor aggressive triple negative group carcinoma (TNBC) possible relationship course disease. A total 167 patients with a ER−, PR−, Her-2/neu− phenotype which tissue for studies available were examined. The immunostain evaluated semiquantitatively as staining intensity (0, 1, 2, 3), percentage stained cells weighted index (WI) (staining times cells). score WI < 60 regarded “negative”. There striking difference incidence positivity between carcinomas African American (AA) Caucasian (C) women. AA showed higher tumors (41/84 = 48.8 % AA, 6/51 = 11.8 % C) lower average WI. TNBC associated stage smaller size at time diagnosis. multivariable survival analysis, all cases regardless race significantly hazard ratio disease progression, shorter free survival, disease-related death, OS. This especially pronounced but did not reach statistical significance C alone. These results suggest that agonist may be useful biologic additions treatment some forms TNBC, who generally show more their