WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Dr. INAS Hasan Saad* and Dr. Ayser Hammed Latif

ABSTRACT

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype characterized by the absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression. Identifying reliable biomarkers for TNBC prognosis and progression remains a critical research focus. The SRY-related HMG-box 10 (SOX10) transcription factor has been implicated in various malignancies, including breast cancer, yet its role in TNBC in middle east remains understudied. Aim of the study: To evaluate SOX10 expression in TNBC cases using immunoreactivity score (IRS) and H-score methods and to assess its correlation with clinicopathological features, including tumor grade, tumor size, and nodal involvement. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 TNBC cases at Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital and private laboratories in Baghdad from 1st of March 2024 to 1st of February 2025. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to assess SOX10 expression using both IRS and H-score systems. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS-27, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: SOX10 expression was detected in 74.4% of cases based on H-score and 59.57% using IRS. Higher SOX10 expression was significantly associated with tumor grade (p = 0.018), tumor size (p = 0.001), T-stage (p = 0.001), and N-stage (p= 0.002), supporting its role in tumor aggressiveness, this is a part from age-related differences which were not statistically significant (p = 0.380). Conclusion: SOX10 is highly expressed in TNBC and correlates with tumor aggressiveness, making it a potential prognostic biomarker. Standardization of SOX10 scoring methods is necessary for its clinical utility.