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The effects of spiritual intervention and changes in dopamine receptor gene expression in breast cancer patients

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An Erratum to this article was published on 30 December 2015

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females in Iran and in most of the developed countries. Studies have shown that having chronic stress in individuals predisposes several types of cancer including breast cancer. Research results showed that spiritual factors correlate with indices of physical consequences such as heart disease, cancer, and death, so do psychiatric conditions and changes in receptor gene expression in depression, anxiety, and social dysfunction. Different studies demonstrated the role of neurotransmitters in occurrence and progression of cancers. They affected cells by their various types of receptors. An effective gene in mental and physical conditions is Dopamine receptor. Accordingly, the study was conducted to evaluate effects of psychotherapy (spiritual intervention) on changes in Dopamine receptor gene expressions in breast cancer patients. 90 female volunteers, including 30 healthy individuals and 60 diagnosed with breast cancer, considering exclusion criteria, were selected for the purpose of the study. The breast cancer patients were further categorized into experimental and control groups of 30 each. Blood samples were collected both prior to and following the spiritual intervention to analyze changes in their dopamine gene receptor expressions. We observed that DRD2–DRD4 in the control group (breast cancer patients) PBMC increased compared to healthy individuals. Also, DRD2–DRD4 in intervention group PBMC decreased compared to the control group and to even lower than those of healthy individuals. The findings were of great significance in management and treatment of cancer because they revealed the possibility of using alternative treatments (e.g., spiritual interventions) apart from conventional medical treatments.

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Acknowledgments

The authors hereby express their heartfelt thanks to the staff at the Cancer Research Center and all the patients especially the ones who attended the therapy sessions continuously. They also offer their sincere thanks to the staff of the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology for helpful efforts during the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgical Oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Esmael Akbari

  2. Department of Psycho-oncology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBUMS), Cancer Research Center (CRC), Tehran, Iran

    Farah Lotfi Kashani, Elah Nooshinfar & Leili Hosseini

  3. Medical Laser Research Center, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

    Ghasem Ahangari & Majid Pornour

  4. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Lorestan University, Khoramabad, Iran

    Hessam Hejazi

  5. Department of Language, Aryanpour Institute, Tehran, Iran

    Mohsen Kabiri

  6. Cancer Research Center, Shohada Hospital, Tajrish, Tehran, Iran

    Leili Hosseini

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  1. Mohammad Esmael Akbari
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  2. Farah Lotfi Kashani
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  3. Ghasem Ahangari
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  8. Leili Hosseini
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Correspondence to Leili Hosseini.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

An erratum to this article is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12282-015-0663-2.

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Akbari, M.E., Kashani, F.L., Ahangari, G. et al. The effects of spiritual intervention and changes in dopamine receptor gene expression in breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer 23, 893–900 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-015-0658-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12282-015-0658-z

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