Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein is overexpressed in patients with unfavorable prognostic factors in breast cancer.
Neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) is a recently identified inhibitor of apoptosis protein. However, the clinical relevance of NAIP expression is not completely understood. In an attempt to determine the clinical relevance of NAIP expression in breast cancer, the levels of NAIP and survivin expression were measured in 117 breast cancer samples and 10 normal breast tissues using quantitative reversetranscriptase-polymerase chain reaction. While there was no evidence of NAIP expression in the normal breast tissue, NAIP was expressed in all breast cancer samples. The level of NAIP expression in breast cancer was significantly higher (257 times) than in the universal tumor control. There was a strong correlation between the level of NAIP expression and the level of survivin expression (p=0.001). The level of NAIP expression in patients with a large tumor (>/=T2) and patients with an unfavorable histology (nuclear grade III) was significantly higher than in those patients with a small tumor (T1) and patients with a favorable histology (nuclear grade I, II) (p=0.026 and p=0.050, respectively). Although the level of NAIP expression was higher in patients with other unfavorable prognostic factors, it was not significant. The three-year relapse-free survival rate was not significantly the patients showing high NAIP expression and patients showing low NAIP expression (86.47plusmn;4.79% vs. 78.74plusmn;6.57%). Further studies should include the expressions of NAIP in a larger number of patients and for a longer period of follow-up to evaluate correlation with metastasis and treatment outcome. In conclusion, NAIP is overexpressed in breast cancer patients with unfavorable clinical features such as stage and tumor size, suggesting that NAIP would play a role in the disease manifestation.
Choi
Jaewon
J
Department of Pediatrics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Hwang
Yu Kyeong
YK
Choi
Young Jin
YJ
Yoo
Ki Eun
KE
Kim
Jeong Han
JH
Nam
Seok Jin
SJ
Yang
Jung Hyun
JH
Lee
Sang Jin
SJ
Yoo
Keon Hee
KH
Sung
Ki Woong
KW
Koo
Hong Hoe
HH
Im
Young Hyuck
YH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000077022:Survivin; D016896:Treatment Outcome
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C496800:NAIP protein, human; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051616:Neuronal Apoptosis-Inhibitory Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D000077022:Survivin