Background & Aims: Breast cancer is the most prevalent malignancy in women. A few articles describe a marked decrease in the levels of ferroportin in breast cancer cells.The presented results demonstrate convincingly the incredible diagnostic and prognostic value of ferroportin expression in breast cancer and suggest that determination of this molecular marker maybe used as guidance toward individualized therapy for breast cancer patients. So we have evaluated the ferroportin expression in breast cancer samples in Iranian patients and also as a side goal probable correlation between prognostic factors and this marker.

 Materials & Methods: This was a cross sectional study that was done in 2012 in Rasoole Akram and Atieh Hospitals. Ferroportin expression was measured in 100 breast cancer tissue samples by anti-ferroportin antibody Immunohistochemistry method. Estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Her2neu, Ki67 index, lymph node metastasis, microscopic grade, histological type, age, size, and molecular subtypes and their relation with ferroportin were also evaluated in the patient’s paraffin embedded block samples.

 Results: The mean of patients’ age was 12.3 ± 53.3 years. Ferroportin expression was positive in 28 (28%) and negative in 72(72%) of the patients. There were statistic relationships between Ferroportin expressions and positive estrogen receptor, positive progesterone receptor, negative Her2neu and basal like molecular subtype.

 Conclusion: Incidence of expression of ferroportin has decreased in most breast cancer samples and also has a significant relation with prognostic factors including, ER, PR, Her2neu, and basal like molecular subtype. These findings make a hypothesis that Ferroportin expression may be a prognostic factor in breast cancer progression and prognosis. More future studies are necessary for final judgments.

  SOURCE: URMIA MED J 2014: 25(3): 230 ISSN: 1027-3727