title: GATA-3 expression in male and female breast cancers: comparison of clinicopathologic parameters and prognostic relevance.
abstract: Expression of GATA-3 in female breast cancers has been linked to estrogen receptor (ER) expression and, in turn, to improved outcomes. However, GATA-3 has not been studied in male breast cancers. Nineteen male breast carcinomas (average age: 63 years) and 164 female breast carcinomas (average age: 57 years) were immunostained for GATA-3. Results were compared to age, tumor size, tumor grade, lymph node status, distant metastases, survival, and positivity for ER, progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2/neu. Six of 19 (31.6%) male and 135 of 164 (82.3%) female breast carcinomas were GATA-3 positive (P < .001). In women, 82.1% of GATA-3-positive cancers were grade 1 or 2, whereas 75.9% of GATA-3-negative cancers were grade 3 (P < .001); no such significant correlation was seen in men. Unlike female cancers, male cancers showed no correlation between GATA-3 positivity and ER positivity, PR positivity, or distant metastases. Nodal metastasis and HER2 status were not linked to GATA-3 in either sex. Seventeen (89.5%) men were alive at follow-up (average: 61 months); only 1 died of disease. Most women (159/164, 97.0%) were also alive at follow-up (average: 41 months), with a higher proportion of GATA-3-negative women dead than GATA-3-positive women (3/29 [10.3%] vs. 2/135 [1.5%], P = .039). GATA-3 is expressed less often in male than female breast cancers. Male cancers show no correlation between GATA-3 positivity and ER/PR positivity or distant metastases, unlike female cancers. There appears to be no link between GATA-3 positivity and survival in men, whereas in women, GATA-3-positive tumors are typically lower grade with a better prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Raul S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Harold
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sullivan
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494749:GATA3 protein, human; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen