title: Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor 1 expression levels in blood and tissue predict breast tumour clinical behaviour.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several studies have demonstrated that Na(+) /H(+) exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1) protein, which is overexpressed and heterogeneously distributed in different stages of breast cancer, could be used as a tumour marker for prognosis in molecular detection strategies. We observed that tumour-infiltrated lymphocytes in the tumour tissue display a high level of NHERF1 staining, in contrast to those present in the contiguous non-involved tissue. Hypothesizing that cancer cells elicit a specific T-cell response associated with the characteristics of the solid tumour, our aim was to evaluate NHERF1 in peripheral lymphocytes from healthy donors and breast cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NHERF1 levels were analysed in 55 breast cancer patients and 40 healthy donors, and these levels were compared with clinical pathological features. NHERF1 was overexpressed in circulatory peripheral lymphocytes from patients as compared with those from healthy subjects. Furthermore, in both circulatory lymphocytes and tissues, NHERF1 was positively associated with tumour grade, Nottingham Prognostic Index and oestrogen receptor, whereas there was no association with other clinical parameters in either tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that NHERF1 measurements in circulatory lymphocytes of breast cancer patients may be a valid method for the prediction of breast cancer occurrence and prognosis, and may have value in the management of cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Experimental Oncology Laboratory, National Cancer Centre, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. toniabellizzi@oncologico.bari.it
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bellizzi
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mangia
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Malfettone
authors.forename: Rosa Angela
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Cardone
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: Stephan Joel
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Reshkin
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paradiso
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010750:Phosphoproteins; D017923:Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers; C093376:sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor