Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 expression predicts poor prognosis in triple-negative breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) has been identified as a reliable marker of breast cancer stem cells, and its clinical significance as a prognostic indicator of breast cancer has been reported by several investigators. However, the clinical significance of ALDH1 expression in triple-negative (TN) breast cancer, a high-risk breast cancer lacking the benefit of specific therapy, remains to be solved.


RESULTS
We performed immunohistochemical analyses of 106 TN breast cancers, using paraffin-embedded sections. The basal-like phenotype was also investigated with the use of basal cytokeratin 5/6 and epidermal growth factor receptor. ALDH1 expression in carcinoma cells was found in 59% of cases and was correlated with high histological grade alone (P < 0.006), whereas ALDH1 expression in stromal cells was found in 49% of cases but was not correlated with any clinicopathological parameter. Patients with ALDH1 expression in carcinoma cells had a shorter relapse-free survival (RFS) according to the log-rank test (P = 0.015). According to Cox multivariate analysis, ALDH1 expression in carcinoma cells was an independent prognostic indicator of RFS (P = 0.025). The log-rank test revealed that stromal expression of ALDH1 had no effect on RFS.


CONCLUSIONS
ALDH1 expression in carcinoma cells is an independent prognostic factor in TN breast cancer patients.
Hakuaikai Sagara Hospital Department of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, Field of Oncology, Kagoshima University, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan.
Yasuyo
Y
Ohi
Yoshihisa
Y
Umekita
Takako
T
Yoshioka
Masakazu
M
Souda
Yoshiaki
Y
Rai
Yoshiaki
Y
Sagara
Yasuaki
Y
Sagara
Yoshiatsu
Y
Sagara
Akihide
A
Tanimoto
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000080924:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D050697:Retinal Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007527:Isoenzymes; D000080924:Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family; C510223:ALDH1A1 protein, human; D050697:Retinal Dehydrogenase