Patterns of Dual-Specific Phosphatase 4 mRNA Expression Before and after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

Abstract

Objective: Evaluation of the neoadjuvant chemotherapy response can be performed by comparing the breast cancer<br />burden and pathobiology before and after treatment. This study was aimed to investigate the pattern of dual-specific<br />phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) mRNA expression in breast cancer cells before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods:<br />This was a longitudinal study. Twenty samples of matched breast cancer tissue taken from biopsy before and after<br />chemotherapy were subjected to qRT-PCR to detect DUSP4 mRNA expression. Results: The mean value of DUSP4<br />mRNA expression in prechemotherapy breast cancer patients was 9.906±0.333 and that in breast cancer patients<br />postchemotherapy was 10.016±1.062. In the responsive group, the rate of DUSP4 mRNA expression increased by<br />0.476 after chemotherapy. In the nonresponsive group, the proportion of DUSP4 mRNA expression likely decreased<br />by 1.012. Statistical analysis found no significant correlation between DUSP4 mRNA expression prechemotherapy and<br />the clinical chemotherapeutic response with p-value = 0.994 (p ≥0.05). A significant correlation was found between the<br />postchemotherapy DUSP4 mRNA expression and the clinical chemotherapeutic response with p-value = 0.003 (p < 0.5).<br />Conclusion: No significant difference was found in the mRNA expression of DUSP4 in pre- and post-neoadjuvant<br />chemotherapy specimens. High DUSP4 expression postchemotherapy shows a substantial correlation with the<br />chemotherapeutic response.