Detection of XIST Gene Deletion by Fluorescence in Situ hybridization in Breast Cancer Patients
Abstract
Background: XIST gene is a long noncoding RNA that has been implicated strongly in the process of X chromosome inactivation during early embryogenesis. Its expression is frequently lost in some female’s cancer. In breast cancer, XIST gene deletion is a point of much interest, and its role as a prognostic marker is yet unclear. Aim of the Work: is to detect XIST gene deletion by fluorescence in situ hybridization and to correlate this deletion with the clinicopathological data of breast cancer patients. Subjects and Methods: This research was a prospective study conducted on sixty recently diagnosed female breast cancer cases who underwent mastectomy at South Egypt Cancer Institute, Assiut University, in the period from December 2019 to December 2021, and 30 apparently healthy breast tissues from mastectomy specimens due to proliferative breast diseases or granulomatous mastitis were included as a control group. XIST gene deletion was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Results: XIST gene was significantly deleted in patients with breast cancer (P<0.001). This deletion was significantly associated with older age (P = 0.026), positive nodal metastasis (P = 0.005), and advanced tumor stage (P=0.028) but was not related to tumor size (P = 0.501) or CA 15.3 (P = 0.905). Also, XIST gene deletion was more prevalent among patients with triple-negative breast cancer (P = 0.009). Conclusion: XIST gene was deleted among BC patients. XIST gene deletion was more prevalent among patients with TNBC.XIST gene deletion could be considered as an important predictive biomarker in breast cancer and an indicator of poor clinical outcome.