Prognostic significance of phosphorylated STAT-1 expression in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients with invasive breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
STAT-1 is the first member of the family of signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs). In breast cancer experimental models, an apoptotic and antiproliferative effect has been demonstrated. Our aim was to study the role of phosphorylated STAT-1 (pSTAT-1) in invasive breast carcinoma and its prognostic significance in premenopausal and postmenopausal patients.


RESULTS
Immunohistochemistry was performed in 165 patients in order to detect the expression of pSTAT-1 and its correlation with oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), caspase-3, and pAkt. pSTAT-1 was immunodetected in the cytoplasm of the malignant cells (11.6%). In premenopausal patients, cytoplasmic pSTAT-1 was positively correlated with stage (P = 0.014), ER (P = 0.008), caspase-3 (P = 0.029), and pAkt (P = 0.045). Univariate analysis showed that cytoplasmic pSTAT-1 was associated with poor overall survival (P = 0.042) and the phenotype of pSTAT-1/ER or PR coexpression with shorter disease-free survival (P = 0.012). In contrast, in postmenopausal patients, no association with clinicopathological parameters and survival was observed, except for the relationship of pSTAT-1/ER or PR coexpression with longer disease-free survival (P = 0.034).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study examining the role of pSTAT-1 in premenopausal and postmenopausal women with invasive breast cancer. Our results suggest that pSTAT-1 is related to tumour progression in premenopausal patients through the advanced stage and worse survival.
Department of Pathology, Evaggelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Christina
C
Magkou
Ioanna
I
Giannopoulou
Irene
I
Theohari
Alexandra
A
Fytou
Petros
P
Rafailidis
Alexandros
A
Nomikos
Christos
C
Papadimitriou
Lydia
L
Nakopoulou
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017698:Postmenopause; D017697:Premenopause; D011379:Prognosis; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D050794:STAT1 Transcription Factor; C494079:STAT1 protein, human; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3