Ceramide expression in relation to breast cancer molecular subtypes in Saudi women

BACKGROUND/INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer (BC), it is still associated with high mortality rates. New biomarkers are being developed for the diagnosis, treatment, and prediction of responses of BC. Ceramide (CER), a bioactive sphingolipid, has emerged recently as a useful diagnostic tool in several types of tumors. In this study, we evaluated CER expression in invasive BC and assessed its relation to the molecular subtypes of BC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The clinical data and histopathological slides of 50 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma were retrieved and reviewed. The cases were then stained with a mouse monoclonal anti-ceramide antibody. Pearson correlation was used to assess the correlation between CER percentage and intensity and other clinical and pathological variables. RESULTS: CER expression showed a direct relationship with estrogen and progesterone receptors Allred scores. However, it showed an inverse relation with tumor grade, HER2/neu status and Ki-67 index. CONCLUSIONS: CER expression is likely to be associated with luminal BC molecular subtypes. However, more research is needed to confirm these results and to explore its relation to the different clinical outcomes, including response to treatment and prognosis.