Abstract

BACKGROUND: The importance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in initiation and progression of breast cancer has been well established. This population of cells is characterized by high expression of CD44 and low expression of CD24. OBJECTIVE: However, the relative abundance of CD24 and CD44 transcripts in breast cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancerous tissues (ANCTs) has not been quantified yet. METHODS: In the present investigation, we assessed expression of CD24 and CD44 at transcript level in breast cancer tissues and ANCTs in association with clinical determinants of patients' outcome and parameters that predict response to therapeutic options. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in expression of CD24 and CD44 in breast cancer tissues compared with ANCTs (Expression ratios: 1.03 and 0.84, P values: 0.92 and 0.61, respectively). However, CD44 expression was associated with tumor size in a way this gene was up-regulated in all of small sized (≤2 cm) tumors compared with the corresponding ANCTs (P value = 0.04). Besides, CD44 expression was significantly higher in tumors with extracapsular nodal extension compared with those without extension (P = 0.04). Expression of CD24 was higher in grade 3 tumors compared with grade 2 tumors (P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Expression levels of CD24 and CD44 were correlated with each other in ANCTs but not in tumoral tissues. The current study shows another aspect of CSC markers in the development of breast cancer. © 2020 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.