Clinical significance of serum tenascin-C levels in breast cancer

Abstract

Tenascin-C (TNC) is a key molecule in tissue remodeling, and high levels are observed in many diseases, including heart failure, thrombosis, atherosclerosis, and cancer. High TNC expression by immunohistochemical analysis has been shown in invasive and metastasizing tissues from a variety of cancers, including colon, lung, brain, and breast. This study was conducted to investigate the serum level of TNC in breast cancer patients and its relationship with tumor progression and known prognostic parameters. Ninety-six breast cancer patients were enrolled into the study. Serum samples were obtained on first admission before adjuvant and metastatic treatments were given and at follow-up. Serum TNC levels were determined by the solid-phase sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Median age of diagnosis was 48 years old (range, 29-80). Thirty-seven (39 %) patients had metastatic breast cancer. The mean TNC levels were found to be significantly higher in patients with breast cancer (344.1 ± 42.4 pg/mL) compared to those in healthy controls (137.2 ± 26.8 pg/mL) (p = 0.005). Serum TNC level in grade 3 tumors was found to be significantly higher than in grades 1-2 tumors (p = 0.04). No correlation was detected between serum TNC levels and other prognostic parameters analyzed, including presence of metastasis, lymph node involvement, and tumor size. Serum TNC level had no significantly adverse effect on survival in univariate and multivariate analyses (p = 0.65 and p = 0.85, respectively). In conclusion, although serum TNC levels are elevated, it has no predictive or prognostic roles on survival in breast cancer patients.

Increased Obesity-Associated Circulating Levels of the Extracellular Matrix Proteins Osteopontin, Chitinase-3 Like-1 and Tenascin C Are Associated with Colon Cancer

“…However, although elevated TNC serum levels have been found previously in various cancers in agreement with our study, no predictive or prognostic roles have been associated to them in other studies, questioning TNC’s role as a tumor marker [46]. A possible reason resides in the influence of other comorbidities including cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases in serum TNC levels [46]. The expression pattern of TNC is dynamic, being specifically induced and tightly controlled during acute inflammation and persistently expressed in chronic inflammation [47].…”

“…In this line, we observed that circulating levels of TNC were significantly increased in patients with CC being even higher in obese subjects with CC. However, although elevated TNC serum levels have been found previously in various cancers in agreement with our study, no predictive or prognostic roles have been associated to them in other studies, questioning TNC’s role as a tumor marker [46]. A possible reason resides in the influence of other comorbidities including cardiovascular or inflammatory diseases in serum TNC levels [46].…”

How interacting pathways are regulated by miRNAs in breast cancer subtypes

“…There are only a few publications that associate Atherosclerosis Signalling to BC. However, one of the main molecule involved in tissue remodelling and in atherosclerosis is tenascin-C. Its serum level of expression has no predictive or prognostic ability in BC, although it is elevated in BC patients [157]. As regards miRNAs involved in the control of this couple of pathways, we identified a single miRNA, Hsa-miR-1910 .…”

Tenascin-C: Exploitation and collateral damage in cancer management

“…8 Moreover, it was shown that serum level of tenascin-C has no predictive or prognostic roles on survival of epithelial ovarian cancer or breast cancer patients. 11,12 These data suggest that tenascin-C expression as cancer marker needs to be considered in a broader context. Tenascin-C was found to be upregulated together with several other ECM molecules in the so called AngioMatrix that is upregulated during the angiogenic switch of an experimental insulinoma model.…”