title: [Expressions of epithelial cell adhesion molecule, vimentin and N-cadherin in molecular subtypes of breast cancer and the correlation among them].
abstract: To examine the expressions of epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), vimentin and N-cadherin in breast cancer and its molecular subtypes, and to explore the correlation among them.  Methods: The expressions of EpCAM, vimentin and N-cadherin were detected by immunohistochemistry in 835 patients with breast cancer, and their correlations with clinical pathological features and prognosis were analyzed.  Results: The expression rates of EpCAM, vimentin and N-cadherin in the patients were 53.4%, 11.4% and 9.7% respectively, which were increased with the increase in tumor size, histological grade, lymph node size, tumor node stage of metastases classification, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor levels (all P<0.05). The positive expression rates for EpCAM protein in luminal A, luminal B (HER2-), luminal B (HER2+), HER2 overexpression and triple-negative subtypes were 19.2%, 73.0%, 48.9%, 72.2%, and 62.1% respectively; for vimentin were 3.9%, 11.4%, 14.1%, 11.1%, and 20.5% respectively; for N-cadherin were 7.0%, 5.7%, 12.0%, 12.2% and 17.4% respectively, with statistical difference (all P<0.05). EpCAM expression was positively correlated with vimentin and N-cadherin in patients with breast cancer and triple-negative breast cancer.  Conclusion: EpCAM is overexpressed in triple-negative subtype of breast cancer and it is associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, which might be related to breast cancer progression and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Binzhou People's Hospital, Binzhou Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Limei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular, Binzhou People's Hospital, Binzhou Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Binzhou People's Hospital, Binzhou Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Binzhou People's Hospital, Binzhou Shandong 256610, China.
authors.forename: Xinjun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D015820:Cadherins; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; D014746:Vimentin
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D000071858:Epithelial Cell Adhesion Molecule; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D014746:Vimentin; C050361:CDH2 protein, human; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human