Expression Analysis of TREM2 and TC2N Genes in Human Breast Cancer Tissues

 Since breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women around the world, finding new biomarkers for early diagnosis of breast cancer is invaluable.

 This research assessed the mRNA expression of triggering receptors expressed on myeloid cell 2 (TREM2) and tandem C2 domains nuclear protein (TC2N) genes among Iranian patients with breast cancer.

 We acquired 50 samples of cancerous breast tumors and corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues from Iranian women. The gene expression of TREM2 and TC2N was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR). In addition, the association between TREM2 and TC2N levels with various clinicopathologic characteristics was also investigated.

 The increased levels of TREM2 and TC2N mRNAs were shown in breast cancerous tissues in comparison with adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.05). Among the clinicopathological characteristics evaluated, tumor size, necrosis, and lymphatic tissue invasion were significantly associated with high TREM2 expression. A significant relationship was also seen between increased TC2N expression and tumor grade. Sensitivity and specificity were shown at 84% and 94%, respectively, for TREM2 and 72% and 100% for TC2N.

 The data suggest that TREM2 expression, but not TC2N, could be a suitable biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis.