title: Correlation effect of EGFR and CXCR4 and CCR7 chemokine receptors in predicting breast cancer metastasis and prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The chemokine receptors CXCR4 and CCR7 play an important role in cancer invasion and metastasis. This study investigated the expression of CXCR4, CCR7, CXCL12, CCL21, and EGFR to illustrate the role of these biomarkers in breast cancer metastasis and prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CXCR4, CCR7, CXCL12, CCL21, and EGFR biomarkers were analyzed along with ER, PR, and HER-2/neu in breast cancer tissue microarray (TMA) specimens, including 200 primary breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry. Corresponding lymph nodes from the same patients were also examined using the same method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Together with their CXCL12 and CCL21 ligands, CXCR4 and CCR7 were significantly highly expressed in tumor cells with lymph node (LN) metastasis. Similarly, EGFR was expressed highly in tumors with LN metastasis. The ligands were especially expressed in metastatic tumors than in primary tumors from the same patients. Moreover, the expression of both CXCR4 accompanied by CCR7 and CXCL12 accompanied by CCL21 were up-regulated. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that patients exhibiting high CXCR4, CCR7, and EGFR expression experienced a shorter survival period compared with those with low expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of CXCR4, CCR7, and EGFR may be associated with LN metastasis. Moreover, the expression of these receptors can serve as an indicator of undesirable prognosis in patients with breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Yixin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ru
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Jingyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Xiulan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jinjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jiangbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qiuyue
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Baocun
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D011379:Prognosis; D054400:Receptors, CCR7 / Q000032:analysis*; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4 / Q000032:analysis*; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D054400:Receptors, CCR7; D019718:Receptors, CXCR4; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors