title: Gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 and mammaglobin A expression determined by immunohistochemistry is of limited utility in triple-negative breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In addition to oestrogen and progesterone receptors, gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15) and mammaglobin A (MAM) are the most common markers used to identify breast origin by immunohistochemistry. GCDFP-15 expression has been reported in approximately 60% of breast carcinomas and MAM expression in approximately 80%. Data on their expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) are very limited. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of these markers in TNBC to determine their utility in pathological diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of GCDFP-15 and MAM in 63 primary and 118 metastatic TNBCs. GCDFP-15 staining was present in 14% of primary and 21% of metastatic TNBCs. MAM staining was present in 25% of primary and 41% of metastatic TNBCs. The frequency of expression of GCDFP-15 and/or MAM was 30% in primary and 43% in metastatic TNBCs, and many positive tumours had only focal staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Staining for GCDFP-15 and/or MAM in triple-negative carcinomas helps to confirm breast origin, but most tumours in this subgroup of breast carcinomas lack expression of either marker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centre, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030, USA. leihuo@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.forename: Jinxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Michael Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Gilcrease
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Resetkova
authors.forename: Kelly K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.forename: Michael T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Deavers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D060785:Mammaglobin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D060785:Mammaglobin A; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C488892:PIP protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human