title: The significance of GATA3 expression in breast cancer: a 10-year follow-up study.
abstract: GATA3 is a transcription factor closely associated with estrogen receptor alpha in breast carcinoma, with a potential prognostic utility. This study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of GATA3 in estrogen receptor alpha-positive and estrogen receptor alpha-negative breast carcinomas. One hundred sixty-six cases of invasive breast carcinomas with 10-year follow-up information were analyzed. Positive GATA3 and estrogen receptor alpha cases were defined as greater than 20% of cells staining. Time to cancer recurrence and time to death were analyzed with survival methods. Of 166 patients, 40 were estrogen receptor alpha negative and 121 estrogen receptor alpha positive. Thirty-eight (23%) recurrences and 51 (31%) deaths were observed. In final multivariable analyses, GATA3-positive tumors had about two thirds the recurrence risk of GATA3-negative tumors (hazard ratio = 0.65, P = .395) and comparable mortality risk (hazard ratio = 0.86, P = .730). In prespecified subgroup analyses, the protective effect of GATA3 expression was most pronounced among estrogen receptor alpha-positive patients who received tamoxifen (hazard ratio = 0.57 for recurrence and 0.68 for death). We found no statistically significant differences in recurrence or survival rates between GATA3-positive and GATA3-negative tumors. However, there was a suggestion of a modest-to-strong protective effect of GATA3 expression among estrogen receptor alpha-positive patients receiving hormone therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ciocca
authors.forename: Constantine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Daskalakis
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ciocca
authors.forename: Alejandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Orrico
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Palazzo
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D013629:Tamoxifen