AUTHOR=Sadaf  , Akhter Naseem , Alharbi Raed A. , Sindi Abdulmajeed A. A. , Najm Mohammad Zeeshan , Alhumaydhi Fahad A. , Khan Mohammad Aasif , Deo S.V.S , Husain Syed Akhtar 

TITLE=Epigenetic Alteration and its Association With Downregulated FOXP3 Gene in Indian Breast Cancer Patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2021.781400

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2021.781400

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold><italic>FOXP3</italic> gene, known to be a potential tumor suppressor, has been identified to interact with HER2 in mammary cancer. Moreover, the high expression of <italic>FOXP3</italic> serves as a good predictor of the survival of patients in breast cancer, prostate cancer, and gastric cancer. The expression and epigenetic alterations were evaluated in female breast cancer patients.</p><p><bold>Material and Methods:</bold> Expression studies at the mRNA level and protein level were conducted in 140 breast cancer cases by real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Epigenetic studies were also conducted by analyzing the methylation status at the promoter region of the gene using MS-PCR.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold><italic>FOXP3</italic> mRNA expression and protein expression were downregulated in breast cancer patients. The absence of <italic>FOXP3</italic> protein expression is significantly associated with promoter methylation, where 70 methylated cases exhibited protein loss (70/95, 73.6%). Statistically, we also found a significant correlation between <italic>FOXP3</italic> protein expression and TNM stage, promoter methylation, and histological grade. The methylated <italic>FOXP3</italic> cases that did not express protein were also significantly associated with positive lymph node metastasis and HER-2 status.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> The expression profile of <italic>FOXP3</italic> may serve as a prognostic factor. In short, <italic>FOXP3</italic> may stand in the most crucial list of biomarkers for breast cancer, bringing compelling results in terms of treatment and management of the disease.</p>