title: Loss of PTEN expression is associated with IGFBP2 expression, younger age, and late stage in triple-negative breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between PTEN loss and IGFBP2 expression in a series of triple-negative breast cancers and to relate this expression to basal cytokeratin expression and clinicopathologic features.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and one formalin-fixed and paraffin-processed triple-negative breast cancer cases from the University of Malaya Medical Centre were tested immunohistochemically for cytokeratins 5/6 and 14, PTEN, and IGFBP2. The resulting slides were scored for proportion and intensity of staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Loss of tumor nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for PTEN occurred in 48.3% of cases and was significantly associated with younger age at diagnosis (47 years compared with 57 years in those without PTEN loss; P = .005). Independent predictors of PTEN loss were late stage at presentation (P = .026), cytokeratin 5/6 positivity (P = .028), and IGFBP2 expression (P = .042). High levels of IGFBP2 expression were seen in 32% of cases; an independent predictor of high levels was cytokeratin 14 negativity (P = .005). PTEN loss and high levels of IGFBP2 expression were associated with poorer survival, but neither of these trends was significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTEN loss is a frequent event in triple-negative breast cancers and is significantly associated with younger age at onset of breast cancer, late stage, and IGFBP2 expression.
authors: anthony.rhodes@ummc.edu.my.
authors: Sarah J R
authors: SJ
authors: Dean
authors: Claire M
authors: CM
authors: Perks
authors: Jeff M P
authors: JM
authors: Holly
authors: Nirmala
authors: N
authors: Bhoo-Pathy
authors: Lai-Meng
authors: LM
authors: Looi
authors: Nur Aishah Taib
authors: NA
authors: Mohammed
authors: Kein-Seong
authors: KS
authors: Mun
authors: Soo-Hwang
authors: SH
authors: Teo
authors: Moses O
authors: MO
authors: Koobotse
authors: Cheng-Har
authors: CH
authors: Yip
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Rhodes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007633:Keratins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018971:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2; D007633:Keratins; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase
keywords: IGFBP2; PTEN loss