Expression Of Dicer In Breast Cancer And Its Clinical Significance

Objectives: To investigate the Dicer gene expression and its clinicopathological significance in human breast cancer. The relationship between the Dicer gene expression and tumorogenesis of breast cancer was also investigated.Methods: 1. In 78 breast cancer patients, tumor tissue and paired adjacent normal tissue were obtained. Dicer gene mRNA expression was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR.2. Dicer gene product was detected immunohistochmically in a series of breast neoplasms (including simple hyperplasia, intraductal papillary adenoma, DCIS, invasive ductal carcinoma, etc).Results:1. The Dicer mRNA expression was down-regulated in 48 patients (61.54%), while it was up-regulated in other 30 patients. The down-regulation of Dicer mRNA expression was correlated with higher incidence of lymph node metastasis (P=0.049) or higher TNM stage (P = 0.040).2. Compared to normal tissue, the Dicer protein expression was significant lower in the invasive ductal carcinoma (P=0.002) and the intraductal carcinoma with micro-infiltration (P=0.011).3. The expression of Dicer protein was found to be correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (P=0.016 and P=0.001, respectively).Conclusions:1.The Dicer gene expression was down-regulated in most human breast cancer. It may paly a key role in the process of invasion and metastasis in human breast cancer.2.The Dicer gene may also play an important role in tumorogenesis of breast cancer.