Strong cytoplasmic expression of NF-κB/p65 correlates with a good prognosis in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Recent studies have indicated that constitutive NF-κB activity could be involved in the proliferation of triple-negative breast cancer.


METHODS
The NF-κB/p65 expression and the effects of a NF-κB inhibitor, (-)-DHMEQ, were examined in triple-negative MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Women with triple-negative breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy between 2002 and 2012 were retrospectively analyzed for their expression of NF-κB/p65, Bcl2 and Ki67 by immunohistochemistry in pre- and post-treatment specimens. The factors predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and the prognosis were analyzed.


RESULTS
NF-κB/p65 was predominantly expressed in the cytoplasm of MDA-MB-231 cells. Of 34 triple-negative breast cancer patients, positive staining for NF-κB/p65 expression was detected in the nuclei of a few cells in seven tumors before neoadjuvant chemotherapy, while the expression of NF-κB/p65 in the cytoplasm was detected in almost all tumor cells of 33 tumors. The expression levels of NF-κB/p65 were not associated with the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, although the cytoplasmic NF-κB/p65 staining intensity was significantly decreased in the post-treatment tumor samples compared with the pretreatment samples. All patients whose tumors showed strong cytoplasmic NF-κB/p65 expression before neoadjuvant chemotherapy are currently disease free.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that strong cytoplasmic NF-κB/p65 expression could be a prognostic marker for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.
Division of Breast Surgery, Hokkaido Cancer Center, Kikusui 4-2, Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, 003-0804, Japan.
Motoi
M
Baba
Division of Breast Surgery, Hokkaido Cancer Center, Kikusui 4-2, Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, 003-0804, Japan.
Masato
M
Takahashi
Division of Pathology, Hokkaido Cancer Center, Kikusui 4-2, Shiroishi-ku, Sapporo, 003-0804, Japan.
Katsushige
K
Yamashiro
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Hideki
H
Yokoo
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Moto
M
Fukai
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Masanori
M
Sato
Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita 14 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan.
Mitsuchika
M
Hosoda
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Toshiya
T
Kamiyama
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery I, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Kita 15 Nishi 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8638, Japan.
Akinobu
A
Taketomi
Breast Surgery, Hokkaido University Hospital, Kita 14 Nishi 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-8648, Japan. hirokoy@huhp.hokudai.ac.jp.
Hiroko
H
Yamashita
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000235:genetics*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics*; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051996:Transcription Factor RelA
NF-κB/p65; Neoadjuvant chemotherapy; Prognosis; Triple-negative breast cancer