Plasma mRNA level of certain cytokines in the blood plasma of patients with breast cancer
Authors: E.A. Lolomadze , A.M. Savilova , V.V. Kometova , V.V. Rodionov , D.V. Rebrikov 
Published: November 2024

Purpose: to evaluate the level of gene expression (TNF, IL6, IL8, IL18, VEGF121, VEGF165 and VEGF189) associated with tumor formation in the blood plasma of breast cancer patients and the control group of women. Material and methods. To determine the level of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) representation of the studied genes in blood plasma, the methods of reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used (reagent kits manufactured by DNA-Technology, Russia). The amplification reaction was carried out in a DTprime 4 detection amplifier (DNA-Technology, Russia). Results. In the blood plasma of breast cancer patients and women in the control group, the relative amounts of mRNA of the TNF, IL8, IL18, and VEGF189 genes were significantly increased in patients with breast cancer compared with the healthy control (p 0.01). When comparing the control group with a group of breast cancer patients at various stages, a high level of IL8 and IL18 mRNA expression is observed mainly in the group of breast cancer patients with stage 0 disease. The relative amount of mRNA of IL8 gene in the plasma of patients with breast cancer of all stages (0, I and II) significantly exceeded the relative amount of mRNA of this cytokine in the blood plasma of women in the healthy group (p 0.01), while the differences between the control group and the group of patients with breast cancer III stages were identified at p 0.05. Significant differences in the level of IL18 mRNA expression were detected between the control group and breast cancer groups of stages 0, I and II (p 0.01), while differences in the level of IL18 mRNA expression between the control group and stage III breast cancer patients the diseases were not significant (p 0.05). Significant differences in the level of TNF mRNA expression were found between the control group and the group of patients with breast cancer stage I disease (p 0.01) and between the control group and the groups of patients with breast cancer with stage II and III disease (p 0.05). Statistically significant differences in the mRNA level of the VEGF189 gene are observed in groups of breast cancer at stages 0 and I compared with the control group, where the level of VEGF189 mRNA is significantly increased in these groups (p 0.01). Significant differences are also observed between the control group and the groups of patients with breast cancer of the II and III stages of the disease (p 0.05). Conclusion The obtained results on the level of mRNA representation of the studied genes indicate that mRNA of cytokines (TNF, IL8, IL18) in blood plasma have a statistically significant increased level of expression in breast cancer compared with the control group. To prove that the mRNA of these genes can be used as markers for early diagnosis of breast cancer, the sample of the group of breast cancer patients with stage 0 disease should be increased. To obtain statistically valid conclusions about the increased expression of the VEGF189 mRNA gene in the blood plasma of breast cancer patients, additional studies with an increase in the sample of the group of breast cancer patients with stage 0 disease are also required.