Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are involved in cell growth, motility, and differentiation. Deregulation of RTKs signaling is associated with tumor development and therapy resistance. Potential RTKs like TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MERTK), RON, EPH, and MET have been evaluated in many cancers like lung, prostate, and colorectal, but little is known in breast tumors. In this study, 51 luminal breast cancer tissue and 8 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtypes were evaluated by qPCR for the expression of TAM, RON, EPHA2, and MET genes. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlation to clinical data. TYRO3 is related to tumor subtype and stage, patient's age, smoking habits, and obesity. MET expression is correlated to EPHA2 and TAM gene expression. EPHA2 expression is also related to aging and smoking habits. The expression levels of the TAM and EPHA2 genes seem to play an important role in breast cancer, being also influenced by the patient's lifestyle.
Keywords: TNBC tumors; gene expression; luminal patients; receptors tyrosine kinase; resistance; target therapy.
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