IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 44 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.12891/ceog3315.2017

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Original Research
Serum levels of the immunomodulatory protein, the progesterone induced blocking factor (PIBF) which is found in high levels during pregnancy is not higher in women with progesterone (P) receptor (R) positive vs. negative breast cancer
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1 Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, Camden, NJ, USA
2 Cooper Institute For Reproductive Hormonal Disorders, P.C., Mt. Laurel, NJ, USA
3 Thomas Jefferson University, Department Of Surgery, Philadelphia, PA, USA
4 Thomas Jefferson University, Department Of Cancer Biology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2017, 44(2), 187–189; https://doi.org/10.12891/ceog3315.2017
Published: 10 April 2017
Abstract

Purpose: To determine if serum levels of the immunomodulatory protein, the progesterone induced blocking factor (PIBF), which is present in high levels during normal pregnancy, is present in higher levels in women with breast cancer positive for progesterone receptors. The study would also determine whether the presence or absence of the estrogen receptor in any way modifies PIBF expression. Materials and Methods: PIBF using a research ELISA was evaluated in the follicular phase in 21 women with receptor status as follows: seven with estrogen receptor (ER)+ and progesterone receptor (PR)+, seven with ER- and PR+, and seven with ER+ and PR. Results: The results showed no differences in serum PIBF in the three groups. The serum PIBF levels were no different than historical controls in the follicular phase. Conclusions: Measurement of serum PIBF does not seem to be an important marker to use to either detect women with breast cancer or to help determine tumor virulence or potential specific therapies. If PIBF plays a role in helping cancer cells to escape immune surveillance, it seems that the intracytoplasmic PIBF would be the form most likely operative.
Keywords
Natural killer cells
Intracellular splice variant
Hormonal receptor status
Breast cancer
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