CD44 + /CD24 - phenotype has been associated with stem cell-like characteristics with enhanced invasive properties, radiation resistance, and with distinct genetic profiles suggesting a correlation to adverse prognosis in western literature. The aim of this study was to study CD44 + /CD24 - phenotype as an adverse prognostic marker in Indian breast cancer patients. N = 61 breast cancer patients included in a tertiary care facility in India were evaluated for receptor studies (estrogen receptor ER, progesterone receptor PR, Herceptin antibody Her2 neu receptor, CD44 & CD24 stem cell markers). CD44 + /CD24 - phenotype was statistically related to adverse factors like estrogen and progesterone receptors non-expression, her 2 neu expression, and triple-negative breast cancer. Of the 39 patients with ER-ve status, 33 (84.6%) were found to have CD44 + /CD24 - phenotype and 82.5% of all the CD 44 + /CD24 - patients were ER negative (p = 0.001). Thirty-four (75.5%) of the PR-ve patients showed the CD44 + /CD24 - phenotype, and of all the CD 44 + /CD24 - patients, 85% of were PR negative (p = 0.006). Thirty-six (75%) of Her-2-Neu + ve were CD44 + /CD24 - . Approximately 90% of the Her 2 Neu patients expressed CD44 + /CD24 - and 76.9% of all the triple-negative patients were found to be CD44 + /CD24 - expression (p = 0.001). CD44 + /CD24 - had a significant association with adverse prognostic factors like stage of disease, hormonal receptor status, and molecular subtypes in Indian breast cancer patients like the Western data.
Keywords: CD24; CD44; Chemotherapy response; Expression; Indian breast cancer.
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