Gene expression profiles of the fibroblasts from breast tumors and normal tissue compared with the tumor expression profiles

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to examine whether the gene expression profiles of fibroblast cell lines, established from the tumor and the normal tissue from the same breast, exhibit any similarities with the profiles of the original tissues.

METHODS: Fibroblast cell lines were established from invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast and the adjacent normal tissues. Isolated total RNA from the cell lines and tissues were used to prepare labeled cDNA which was hybridized to Becton Dickinson Atlas microarrays for obtaining profiles of expressed genes. The profiles of tumors and cell lines were compared. This study was carried out at King Faisal specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, during 2004 and 2005.

RESULTS: Alterations of expression of most of the genes in the tissues were not detectable in the cell lines. The expression of a lower number of genes was altered in DCIS compared with that in IDC tumors.

CONCLUSION: Although the fibroblasts discharge important functions, their gene expression profiles do not represent the breast tissue to the extent that any prognostic decisions could be made.