Obesity, leptin, and deregulation of microRNA in lipid metabolisms: their contribution to breast cancer prognosis

Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome have been associated with cardiovascular, diabetes and cancer incidence. Obesity is a state of inflammation. There are cross-talks between adipocyte, adipokines, pro-inflammatory cytokines, insulin, leptin, and other growth factors to initiate signals for proliferation, anti-apoptosis, and angiogenesis. Those networks lead to cancer initiation, promotion, progression, and metastasis. Post menopause women with breast cancer commonly have overweight, obesity, and metabolic syndrome, which are previously reported as conditions to be associated with breast cancer prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression, are known to play important roles either in metabolic or carcinogenesis process in patients with breast cancer. Some miRNAs expressions are deregulated in persons either with obesity, breast cancer, or breast cancer with co-morbid obesity. This literature review aimed at reviewing recent publications on the role of obesity, leptin, and microRNA deregulation in adverse prognosis of breast cancer. Understanding the influence of deregulated miRNAs and their target genes in patients with breast cancer and obesity will direct more studies to explore the potential prognostic role of obesity in breast cancer from epigenetic points of view.