Background: We evaluated the prognostic and predictive values of serum IGF-I, IGF-I-1R, VEGF and TGF-β1 in triple-negative and non-triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC&NTNBC) patients through correlation with standard prognostic factors and survival.

Methods: serum expression of VEGF-A, TGF-β1, IGF-I and IGF-I-1R proteins was measured in of 43 TNBC, 53 NTNBC and 20 normal control (NC) by quantitative enzyme linked immune-sorbant assay (ELISA). Results were correlated to patients’ characteristics, disease free and overall survival (DFS&OS).

Results: The cutoff points that discriminate between TNBC and NTNBC were: 10.09 ng/ml, 412.54 pg/ml and 106.96 ng/ml for IGF-I-1R, VEGF-A, and IGF-I. VEGF, IGF-I and IGF-I-1R differed significantly between groups (p <0.001) whereas TGF-β1 differed significantly between NC and the other groups (p<0.001). TNBC was associated with positive lymph nodes (p<0.001), relapse and metastasis (p<0.001). Response rate (RR) was significantly lower in TNBC patients (p<0.001) with high serum VEGF-A, IGF-I-I/IGF-I-IR (p= 0.004, 0.001/0.003). Reduced DFS associated with high tumor grade, high VEGF-A (p<0.001), high IGF-I/ IGF-I-IR (P<0.001/ p<0.001). Reduced OS associated with relapse (p<0.001), high VEGF-A (p=0.001) and high IGF-I/ IGF-I-IR (p= 0.012/p= 0.02). in multivariate analysis positive nodes (P< 0.001), high VEGF-A (P = 0.02) and IGF-I/ IGF-I-1R (P= 0.03, P= 0.01) were independent factor for disease recurrence.

Conclusions: TNBC represents an aggressive subset of breast tumors. IGF-I, IGF-I-IR, VEGF-A could be used as surrogate biomarkers for TNBC, as prognostic marker since their expression level correlates with reduced OS and high incidence of relapse. They also represent promising candidates for targeted therapy in TNBC patients.

Citation Format: Abdel-Rahman N. Zekri, Abeer Bahnassy. Serum insulin growth factor/insulin growth factor receptor1 (IGF-I, IGF-I-1R) and VEGF-A as prognostic factors and surrogate biomarkers in triple negative breast cancer patients (TNBC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 3006. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-3006

©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.
2014