title: Loss of Plexin B1 is highly prognostic in low proliferating ER positive breast cancers--results of a large scale microarray analysis.
abstract: Plexins, cell-surface receptors for semaphorins, are involved in cell adhesion and migration. In the previous work, we demonstrated that the loss of Plexin B1 expression is associated with poor outcome in breast cancer patients. The goal of the present study was a validation of Plexin B1 expression in a large scale microarray dataset from n=1086 breast cancer patients. Plexin B1 correlates with ER status (p<0.001) and is of prognostic significance only in ER positive (p=0.024) but not in ER negative samples (p=0.85). Among ER positive tumours, the loss of Plexin B1 expression is associated with a positive ErbB2 status (p=0.05) and a high Ki67 expression (p=0.016) in univariate analysis. Multivariate Cox regression including all standard parameters among ER positive tumours revealed that Plexin B1 (HR 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-2.47, p=0.036) remains a significant prognostic marker besides tumour size (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.33-3.89, p=0.0028) and Ki67 (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.12-2.84, p=0.0149). Interestingly, the prognostic value of Plexin B1 was pronounced in low proliferating ER positive tumours otherwise characterised by a low risk of recurrence. In conclusion, this study confirms our previous observations suggesting Plexin B1 as a new prognostic marker in ER positive breast cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rody
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karn
authors.forename: Eugen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ruckhäberle
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanker
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Metzler
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Solbach
authors.forename: Andre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahr
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gätje
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Holtrich
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004967:Estrogens / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D004967:Estrogens; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; C091529:plexin