Clinical significance of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) expression in human breast carcinoma.
Glucose uptake and glycolytic metabolism are enhanced in cancer cells compared to normal cells and tissues. Increased expression of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) has been reported in human malignant cells. The aim of this study is to determine the expression of the facilitative glucose transporter protein GLUT1 in human breast carcinomas and a possible correlation between GLUT1 expression and clinical outcome including disease-free or overall survival. One hundred consecutive formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of invasive breast carcinomas were evaluated by means of immunohistochemical staining of GLUT1. Forty-seven (47%) of 100 breast carcinomas showed positive staining for GLUT1. Expression of GLUT1 correlated significantly with nuclear grade (P < 0.001), estrogen receptor status (P = 0.002), and progesterone receptor status (P = 0.001). The mean disease-free survival periods of GLUT1-positive and -negative patients were 47 +/- 2.4 months and 54.3 +/- 1.3 months, respectively (P = 0.017). The mean overall survival periods of GLUT1-positive and -negative patients were 48.7 +/- 2.2 and 56.1+/- 1.3 months, respectively (P = 0.043). In the multivariate analysis, disease-free survival correlated significantly with GLUT1, tumor size, and lymph node involvement (P = 0.043, P = 0.014, and P = 0.045, respectively). In analysis of overall survival, however, lymph node involvement, tumor size, and nuclear grade were statistically significant (P = 0.024, P = 0.023, and P = 0.003, respectively). Our data suggest that absence of GLUT1 expression significantly increases disease-free survival. These findings demonstrate that GLUT1 expression in breast carcinoma can be a marker of aggressive biological behavior and identifies a worse prognosis in breast carcinoma patients.
Kang
Sung Soo
SS
Department of Surgery, Samsung Cheil Hospital & Women's Healthcare Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 1-19, Mookjung-Dong, Chung-Ku, Seoul, Korea, 100-380.
Chun
Yi Kyeong
YK
Hur
Min Hee
MH
Lee
Hae Kyung
HK
Kim
Yee Jeong
YJ
Hong
Sung Ran
SR
Lee
Jee Hyun
JH
Lee
Sung Gong
SG
Park
Yong Koo
YK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011379:Prognosis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D015996:Survival Rate
D051272:Glucose Transporter Type 1; D009004:Monosaccharide Transport Proteins; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C495677:SLC2A1 protein, human