title: Detection of activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule in the serum of breast cancer patients and implications for prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conflicting results have been reported about activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) expression in breast cancer and its prognostic value. Little is known about the role of ALCAM levels in the serum of breast cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed soluble ALCAM (sALCAM) levels in the serum of 157 primary breast cancer patients and 48 healthy women by ELISA. In addition, we determined ALCAM protein expression by Western blot analysis (n = 120) and mRNA expression by cDNA microarray analysis (n = 115) in the tumor tissue of corresponding patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  sALCAM levels differed between patients and healthy controls (median 24.2 vs. 18.9 ng/ml, p < 0.001). We observed no correlation between serum levels and protein or mRNA expression in corresponding tumors (r < 0.1, p = n.s.). sALCAM levels were not correlated with histological type, grading, tumor stage, or patient age, but elevated sALCAM levels were associated with shorter disease-free survival (HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.01-3.2, p = 0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that sALCAM can be detected in the serum of patients with primary breast cancer. Elevated serum levels might indicate more aggressive tumor behavior as they might be an independent factor for a worse prognosis in breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. iwitzel@uke.de
authors.forename: Isabell
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Witzel
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schröder
authors.forename: Volkmar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Hilke
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zander
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tachezy
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ihnen
authors.forename: Fritz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jänicke
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Milde-Langosch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005326:Fetal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D005326:Fetal Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C105613:ALCAM protein, human; D020410:Activated-Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule