[Expression of PAK4 in breast cancer and benign breast pathological changes].
OBJECTIVE
To study the role of p21-activated kinase-4 (PAK4) in the occurrence, progression and metastasis of breast cancer.


METHODS
PAK4 expression was detected in 35 cases of normal breast, 22 breast cystic hyperplasia, 28 breast adenofibroma, 37 breast cancer (including 7 non-invasive cancer, 9 early invasive cancer and 21 invasive cancer) and 13 metastatic breast cancer tissues using immunohistochemistry for a comparison of PAK4 expression and distribution.


RESULTS
PAK4 was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of the cancer cells, occasionally in the cell nuclei, and virtually not expressed in the matrix surrounding the breast cells. PAK4 positivity rates increased in the order of normal breast tissues, benign changes (including breast cystic hyperplasea and breast adenoma), breast cancer and metastatic cancer tissues; in the cancer tissues, the positivity rates increased in the order of non-invasive breast tumor, early invasive tumor and invasive tumor tissues.


CONCLUSIONS
PAK4 is closely correlated to the progression and metastasis of breast cancer and may become a new diagnostic and therapeutic target of breast cancer.
Yang
Jin-xing
JX
Oncology Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. yjx@fimmu.com
Han
Yu-jing
YJ
Zheng
Hang
H
Luo
Rong-cheng
RC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D055815:Young Adult; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C116367:PAK4 protein, human; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases