Role of IGF-II, PRL, and FABPs in the Breast Cancer Disparity among AA Women

It is well documented that African-American (AA) patients present with more advanced states of breast cancer and have lower survival rates than Caucasian-Americans (CA). Epidemiological data have shown that pregnancy and lactation at an early age in humans reduce the risk of breast cancer. Studies in mice and rats have shown that lactation stimulates the expression of intracellular fatty-acid binding protein 3 (FABP3). FABP3 is detected in human breast tissue and is known as mammary-derived growth inhibitor (MDGI) because it has a strong inhibitory effect on cell proliferation. FABP5 is also expressed in the breast, and has been associated with metastasis and angiogenesis. Thus we hypothesized that increased expression of FABP3 and decreased expression of FABP5 in the normal breast would be associated with protection against carcinogenesis, and that these changes would be regulated by prolactin (PRL) and IGF-II, which are major mediators of breast differentiation. We also hypothesized that differential expression of these FABPs could provide insight into the breast cancer health disparity, particularly since AA women have lower lactation rates relative to CA women. Therefore, we assessed the expression of these FABPs in paired normal/tumor breast cancer tissues from AA and CA, and used AA and CA-derived cell lines to characterize potential regulatory mechanisms involving PRL and IGF-II. Our studies have provided much needed information about the mechanisms involved in the protective effect lactation induces in the breast, and potentially offer new tools to prevent breast cancer.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Basic Sciences

Year

2013

Author dc:creator

• Patrick, Teleka Cassandra

Contributors dc:contributor

• De Leon, Daisy D.
• Brantley, Eileen
• Casiano, Carlos
• De Leon, Marino
• Strong, Donna
• Walker, Ameae

• Medical Biochemistry
• Protein Binding; Fatty Acids; Breast Neoplasms; African-Americans; Lactation; Cancer - Patients; Survivors; Cancer Breast Feeding;
• Breast Cancer
• African American Women
• Cancer Survival Rates
• FABP3
• FABP5
• Fatty-Acid Binding Proteins
• Lactation - Protective Effects

Statement dc:rights

• This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/143

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsrepository.llu.edu:etd-1142