20.500.12556/DKUM-88403 Association of circulating tumor cells, megakaryocytes and a high immune-inflammatory environment in metastatic breast cancer Liquid biopsy is becoming an important source of new biomarkers during the treatment of metastatic cancer patients. Using size-based microfluid technology, we isolated circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from metastatic breast cancer patients to evaluate their presence and cluster formation, as well as the presence of megakaryocytes and immune-inflammatory blood cells, and to correlate their presence with clinicopathological data and overall survival (OS). In total, 59 patients (median age 60.4 years) were included in the study: 62.7% luminal A/B-like, 20.3% HER2-positive, and 17% triple-negative. Our results showed that at least one CTC was present in 79.7% and ≥5 CTCs in 35.2% of the patients. CTC clusters were present in patients with ≥5 CTCs only (in 19.2% of them), and megakaryocytes were present in 52% of all patients. The presence of CTC clusters and megakaryocytes was positively associated with the CTC count. Patients with low pan-inflammatory value (PIV), low systemic immune-inflammatory index (SII), and low relative change from baseline (ΔPIV%, ΔSII%) were associated with significantly higher OS than their counterparts. ΔPIV%, the presence of infection in the last month, and a long duration of metastatic disease were identified as independent prognostic factors for OS. The interplay of CTCs, CTC clusters, megakaryocytes, and PIV needs to be further explored. breast cancer circulating tumor cell cluster megakaryocyte pan-inflammatory value overall survival rak dojk cirkulirajoče tumorske celice klaster megakariociti preživetje true false true MDPI Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Znanstveno delo 2024-04-19 13:02:56 2024-04-19 13:17:35 2024-04-20 03:28:43 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2023 0 0 Str. 1-18 Št. 13 Letn. 15 2023 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2023-03-06 2023-06-25 2023-06-28 616-07 160457987 10.3390/cancers15133397 2072-6694 Kuhar-2023-Association_of_Circulating_Tumor_Ce.pdf Kuhar-2023-Association_of_Circulating_Tumor_Ce.pdf 1 AA1F57484ED68BD748D7E1117302D337 ddbe1a5b4cc464c6e118fd7ecd02871b890c76f8c08eaa44431f7061eecc47aa 3a9d8b3d-fe3e-11ee-8dad-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=178777 https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15133397 0 62b054e5-fe3c-11ee-8dad-00155d000105 https://dk.um.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=178776 Medicinska fakulteta 0 0 0