Expression of e-cadherin in high-risk breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
E-cadherin expression is diverse, and differences in patient characteristics may produce variability in expression. Whereas some studies have indicated that downregulation of e-cadherin, associated with loss of cellular adhesiveness, was correlative with poor prognosis and metastasis, other studies have failed to confirm this. The present study uses a highly homogenous population of patients at high-risk for breast cancer, on the basis of ethnic and socio-economic status, to examine the relationship between e-cadherin and other prognostic markers in breast cancer.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining was undertaken for estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2), p53, vascular endothelial factor (VEGF), and hypoxia inducible factor 1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and the levels of these markers was compared to e-cadherin expression in a high-risk African-American patient population.


RESULTS
E-cadherin expression persisted into the later stagers of the disease, and was strongly associated with Her-2 and HIF-1alpha expression, but not p53, ER/PR or VEGF.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to other studies on heterogeneous populations, e-cadherin is preserved in aggressive tumors in this high-risk population. The ethnic and socio-economic risk stratification needs to be accounted for in studies correlating markers and prognosis.
Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, 1365 C Clifton Road NE, Rm 3078, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Eugene M
EM
Howard
Stephen K
SK
Lau
Robert H
RH
Lyles
George G
GG
Birdsong
Jay N
JN
Umbreit
Ruby
R
Kochhar
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016015:Logistic Models; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000032:analysis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D014157:Transcription Factors; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C497442:HIF1A protein, human