HE4 expression can be associated with lymph node metastases and disease-free survival in breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated the potential of HE4 to predict disease-free survival for patients with breast cancer.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-nine patients with breast cancer underwent surgery from January 2004 to September 2009. Immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) and RT-PCR were used to determine the expression of HE4 which was compared with the clinicopathological factors or prognosis.


RESULTS
A total of 71 of 129 cases (55%) were HE4 positive and two cell lines expressed HE4 protein and mRNA. No correlation was found between HE4 expression by IHC and clinicopathological factors; however, lymph node involvement was closely associated with HE4 expression. Five-year disease-free survival in the HE4-positive group (58.6%) was significantly worse than that in the negative group (85.6%, p=0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
These data showed that HE4 expression is associated with lymph node involvement and is a possible predictive factor of breast cancer recurrence.
Department of Surgery II, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Idaigaoka, Hasama, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan.
Mirei
M
Kamei
Shin-Ichi
S
Yamashita
Keita
K
Tokuishi
Takafumi
T
Hashioto
Toshihiko
T
Moroga
Shuji
S
Suehiro
Kiyoshi
K
Ono
Michiyo
M
Miyawaki
Shinsuke
S
Takeno
Satoshi
S
Yamamoto
Katsunobu
K
Kawahara
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D023083:beta-Defensins
C426184:DEFB126 protein, human; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D023083:beta-Defensins