Cytoskeletal Focal Adhesion Proteins Fascin-1 and Paxillin Are Predictors of Malignant Progression and Poor Prognosis in Human Breast Cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer is a major health problem in both developing and developed countries. The incremental motility of malignant cells is a critical step in their migration, invasion, and metastasis and is regulated by the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and regulation of focal adhesion. Fascin-1 and paxillin are essential components of these cellular structures. In cancer, the expression level of fascin-1 and paxillin can vary depending on cell type. However, its precise role in breast cancer of Saudi women has not been evaluated in any published study. We investigated fascin-1 and paxillin expression in breast carcinoma, and we have related these results to the established prognostic factors. We studied 100 breast carcinoma specimens. Immunohistochemical analyses for fascin-1 and paxillin were conducted on paraffin sections of breast tissues using the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. Fascin-1 and paxillin were expressed in 58% and 43% of infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) cases. There was a statistically significant correlation between fascin-1 and paxillin expression with each of the following: tumor grade, clinical stage, lymph-node metastasis grade, and HER2 expression. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between fascin-1 expression with paxillin immunostaining but no such association with PR or ER status. Increased fascin-1 and paxillin expression in IDC cells and their correlation with poor prognostic factors support their strong correlation with tumor progression, invasion, and metastasis in human breast cancer, indicating that these markers can be used as a target for the development of novel therapies.