Immunohistochemical Expression of CD47 in Breast Cancer in Iraqi Women Patients Breast cancer; Cluster of Differentiation 47 (CD47); Immunohistochemistry.
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) remains the most prevalent malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related death among women globally. In Iraq, BC is the most commonly diagnosed female malignancy. The high rate of mortality linked to cancer is mainly facilitated by the capacity of the tumor to metastasize and avoid the powers of immune system. Cluster of Differentiation 47 (CD47) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed in the majority of human cells and in which the binding of macrophage Signal Regulatory Protein alpha (SIRP alpha) is a don't eat me signal that facilitates the development of the BCs and the formation of cancerous metastases by inhibiting the phagocytosis of immune cells. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to quantitatively measure and assess the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression profile of the CD47 in the malignant breast tumors against non-malignant breast tissue samples of Iraqi women. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt in Iraq to assess the expression and therapeutic potential of the CD47 in breast cancer. Methods: A total of 100 breast tissue samples were collected from various Iraqi hospitals and laboratories, including 70 from patients with malignant breast tumors and 30 control samples from individuals without detectable breast pathology, sourced from the Forensic Medicine Institute in Baghdad with official approvals. Immunohistochemistry analysis was done on all samples to find out the CD47 protein expression profile. Results: The expression of CD47 was statistically significant between the malignant tumor group and non-malignant control group (P<0.001). The strong or high CD47 expression was mainly observed in the malignant breast tumors and in the samples under control, there was low or no expression. Furthermore,, there was a significant correlation between the expression of CD47 and advanced pathological stage. Conclusion: The expression level of CD47 is strongly associated with malignant breast tumors in Iraqi women indicating its potential diagnostic ability in characterizing malignancy and possibly as a prognostic tool in the disease aggressiveness. The findings reinforce the further look into the CD47 as a therapeutic target in breast cancer.
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