Dysregulation of the TLR4/MYD88 Signaling Pathway in Egyptian Females with Breast Cancer: Implications for Tumor Progression.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is a serious health issue, representing one of the most frequently occurring cancers among women. BC treatment and prevention are challenging due to its complex pathophysiology and variety of clinical signs. Therefore, we aimed to study the role of the TLR4/MYD88 signaling pathway in BC. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study was conducted on 71 females with BC, along with 70 control females matched in age. Blood samples were collected from all individuals in this study for laboratory investigation and RT-PCR assay for TLR4 and MYD88 gene. RESULTS: BC group showed a significant increase in tumor markers (CA 15-3 and CEA) compared to control group. Additionally, the expression of TLR4 and MYD88 were significantly increased in BC group compared to controls. The BC surrogate molecular subtypes showed a gradual increase in the expression level of both genes, with significant difference observed with the control group. ROC curve represented a strong discriminating ability for TLR4 and MYD88 in the differentiation BC from control (AUC= 0.966, 0.900, respectively). CONCLUSION: TLR4 and MYD88 were elevated significantly in BC group with strong discriminating power for BC group, estimating their association with BC progression.