Expression of BAG-1 in invasive breast carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the expression of BAG-1 in invasive breast carcinomas. The intensity and subcellular distribution of BAG-1 expression was correlated with conventional prognostic factors and with disease-free and overall survival.


METHODS
One hundred forty patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in St. John's, Newfoundland, between 1986 and 1996 were included in the study. The median follow-up of the study was 8 years. Expression of BAG-1 was determined by immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded breast tumor tissues.


RESULTS
Of the 140 breast carcinomas examined, 77.1% were positive for BAG-1 expression. Except for differentiation, no correlation was observed between BAG-1 expression and conventional prognostic factors such as age, histology, stage, and estrogen and progesterone receptor status. In multivariate analysis, BAG-1 expression was significantly associated with shorter disease-free (P =.0052) and overall survival (P =.0033). Patients whose tumors expressed nuclear BAG-1 tended to have a shorter disease-free (63 v 84 months; P = 0.4493) and overall (69 v 99 months, P =.1009) survival.


CONCLUSIONS
BAG-1 is overexpressed in the majority of invasive breast carcinomas. Although BAG-1 did not correlate with conventional prognostic factors, its overexpression, especially the nuclear expression, may be associated with a shorter disease-free and overall survival. Our preliminary data strongly indicate that further investigation is warranted to define the role of BAG-1 as an independent prognostic factor in patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer.
Tang
S C
SC
Department of Medicine , Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, and Newfoundland Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, Canada. stang@nctrf.nf.ca
Shehata
N
N
Chernenko
G
G
Khalifa
M
M
Wang
X
X
Shaheta
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014157:Transcription Factors
C091732:BCL2-associated athanogene 1 protein; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors