Prognostic values of osteopontin-c, E-cadherin and β-catenin in breast cancer

Abstract

Objective: To determine the correlation of cell adhesion molecules (osteopontin-c, E-cadherin and β-catenin) with clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer.

Methods: Immunostaining of osteopontin-c, E-cadherin and β-catenin were conducted in 170 samples of breast cancer and 30 samples of adjacent normal breast tissues. The correlation of osteopontin-c, E-cadherin and β-catenin expression level with clinicopathological characteristics was evaluated by Pearson's chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum test. Univariate and multivariate Cox hazard regression model was used to assess the prognostic values of osteopontin-c, E-cadherin and β-catenin in clinical outcome of breast cancer.

Results: A higher level of osteopontin-c whereas lower levels of E-cadherin and β-catenin were observed in breast cancer as compared with the normal breast tissues. The expression of osteopontin-c was negatively associated with the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin. The expression of osteopontin-c correlated with lymph node metastasis, and advanced TNM stage and histologic grade. The expression of E-cadherin correlated with low histologic grade; and β-catenin with low TNM stage and histological grade. Moreover, high osteopontin-c level correlated with tumor recurrence or metastasis as well as triple negative subtype. The expression of osteopontin-c was an independent prognostic factor for both disease-free and overall survival of breast cancer patients.

Conclusion: The data suggest that the expression of osteopontin-c could serve as a prognostic factor of breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer; CAMs; DFS; E-cadherin; ER; HER-2/neu; OPN; OS; Osteopontin-c; PR; Survival; cell adhesion molecules; disease-free survival; estrogen receptor; human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; osteopontin; overall survival; pN; positive lymph node; progesterone receptor; β-Catenin.