title: Significance of GATA-3 expression in outcomes of patients with breast cancer who received systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy and clinicopathologic features of GATA-3-positive tumors.
abstract: GATA-3 and estrogen receptor (ER) are involved in a positive cross-regulatory loop and are frequently coexpressed in breast cancers. GATA-3 expression was shown to be an independent predictor of overall and disease-free survival in some studies, whereas others showed no difference. However, the studies used different cutoff values for determining GATA-3 positivity and analyzed outcomes in patients who received systemic therapy together with those who did not. We investigated GATA-3 expression and correlated clinicopathologic findings and outcomes in 516 women who received systemic chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy. Nuclear staining of 1% or greater was considered positive for GATA-3, ER and progesterone receptor (PR). Of 516 cases, 436 (84.5%) were GATA-3+. GATA-3+ tumors were more likely to be grade 1 or 2, ER+, PR+, non-triple-negative phenotypes (all P < .0001), and higher stage (P = .01). ER-/GATA-3+ tumors, compared with ER-/GATA-3- tumors, had worse breast cancer survival (BCS) (P = .02) and a trend for worse overall survival (OS) (P = .05) in univariate analysis. However, there was no difference in OS and BCS between patients who received chemotherapy and/or hormonal therapy among GATA-3-positive and GATA-3-negative groups. GATA-3+ tumors are correlated with lower grade, ER+, PR+, and non-triple-negative phenotypes. Although there was no difference in OS and BCS between GATA-3-positive and GATA-3-negative groups, there was an adverse effect of GATA-3 expression in the ER-negative subgroup of patients who received systemic therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT. Electronic address: h.evingulbahce@gmail.com.
authors.forename: H Evin
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Gulbahce
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Surowiecka
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Varghese
authors.forename: Cindy K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Blair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000627:therapeutic use; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050990:GATA3 Transcription Factor; C494749:GATA3 protein, human; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D013629:Tamoxifen; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D005472:Fluorouracil; D008727:Methotrexate
keywords: Breast cancer; GATA-3; Outcomes