ASSESSING THE RELATION OF FERROPORTIN WITH BREAST CANCER AND ITS PROGNOSTIC FACTORS

Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. A few articles
describe a marked decrease in the levels of ferroportin in breast cancer cells.The presented results
demonstrate convincingly the incredible diagnostic and prognostic value of ferroportin expression in
breast cancer and suggest that determination of this molecular marker maybe used as guidance toward
individualized therapy for breast cancer patients. So we have evaluated the ferroportin expression in
breast cancer samples in Iranian patients and also as a side goal probable correlation between
prognostic factors and this marker.
Materials & Methods: This was a cross sectional study that was done in 2012 in Rasoole Akram and
Atieh Hospitals. Ferroportin expression was measured in 100 breast cancer tissue samples by antiferroportin
antibody Immunohistochemistry method. Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor,
Her2neu, Ki67 index, lymph node metastasis, microscopic grade, histological type, age, size, and
molecular subtypes and their relation with ferroportin were also evaluated in the patient’s paraffin
embedded block samples.
Results: The mean of patients’ age was 12.3±53.3 years. Ferroportin expression was positive in 28
(28%) and negative in 72(72%) of the patients. There were statistic relationships between Ferroportin
expressions and positive estrogen receptor, positive progesterone receptor, negative Her2neu and basal
like molecular subtype.
Conclusion: Incidence of expression of ferroportin has decreased in most breast cancer samples and
also has a significant relation with prognostic factors including, ER, PR, Her2neu, and basal like
molecular subtype. These findings make a hypothesis that Ferroportin expression may be a prognostic
factor in breast cancer progression and prognosis. More future studies are necessary for final
judgments.