title: Prognostic value of alpha 6 beta 4 integrin expression in breast carcinomas is affected by laminin production from tumor cells.
abstract: Immunocytochemical analysis of breast carcinoma specimens for alpha 6 beta 4 integrin expression and other different pathobiological markers revealed beta 4 integrin subunit expression in 36 of 80 cases analyzed and a significant association only with alpha 6 integrin subunit expression (P < 0.01) and laminin production (P = 0.01) by tumor cells. Survival analysis indicated that beta 4 and alpha 6 expression are associated with poor prognosis (P = 0.02), whereas laminin production showed only borderline association (P = 0.06). However, analysis of disease outcome in relation to expression of both alpha 6 beta 4 and laminin indicated best outcomes for patients with tumors producing laminin but not expressing alpha 6 beta 4 integrin, whereas worst outcomes were observed for alpha 6 beta 4- and laminin-positive tumors, indicating that alpha 6 beta 4 expression was associated with prognosis, mainly in the laminin-producing tumor subset. These data indicate that the prognostic value of alpha 6 beta 4 integrin expression is affected by laminin production from tumor cells and suggest that interaction between these two molecules mediates distinct signals that are important for tumor progression.
authors.affiliation: Division of Experimental Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ghirelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Squicciarini
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aiello
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Colnaghi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ménard
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D016023:Integrins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007797:Laminin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D039161:Integrin alpha6beta4; D016023:Integrins; D007797:Laminin