RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the first cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in women. This disease has been linked to obesity; however, it is not clear how fat accumulation affects women who survive breast cancer. Although the visceral adiposity index (VAI) is a marker of cardiometabolic risk and adipose tissue dysfunction, it is not clear how it changes in breast cancer survivors. The aim of this investigation was to compare VAI in women with and without breast cancer. METHODS: A case-control cross-sectional study was conducted on women who were BC survivors and women without the history of BC (control group). Body composition was assessed using electrical bioimpedance while VAI by means of waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), triacylglycerols (TG), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). RESULTS: 49 women in the BC survivor group and 50 in the control group. WC was wider in the survivor group as regards control (93.65 ± 10.48 vs. 88.52 ± 9.61 cm) (p=0.025); at once, TG and VAI were significantly higher for the survivor group (243.55 ± 199.84 vs. 159.84 ± 75.77) (p=0.007) and (11.03 ± 11.15 vs. 6.41 ± 3.66) (p < 0.005), respectively. Body composition parameters were similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: VAI is higher in women who are BC survivors in comparison with controls matched by age and bodyweight.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Currently, one of the most used strategies for the treatment of newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer is neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on the application of taxanes and anthracyclines. However, despite the high number of patients who develop a complete pathological clinical response, resistance and relapse following this therapy continue to be a clinical challenge. As a component of the innate immune system, the cytotoxic function of Natural Killer (NK) cells plays an important role in the elimination of tumor cells. However, the role of NK cells in resistance to systemic therapy in breast cancer remains unclear. The present project aims to evaluate the gene expression profile of human NK cells in breast cancer tissue resistant to treatment with taxanes-anthracyclines. METHODS: Biopsies from tumor tissues were obtained from patients with breast cancer without prior treatment. Histopathological analysis and ex vivo exposure to antineoplastic chemotherapeutics were carried out. Alamar blue and lactate dehydrogenase release assays were performed for quantitative analysis of tumor viability. Gene expression profiles from tumor tissues without prior exposure to therapeutic drugs were analyzed by gene expression microarrays and verified by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: A significant decrease in gene expression of cell-surface receptors related to NK cells was observed in tumor samples resistant to antineoplastic treatment compared with those that were sensitive to treatment. CONCLUSION: A decrease in NK cell infiltration into tumor tissue might be a predictive marker for failure of chemotherapeutic treatment in breast cancer.