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Is vimentin a potential prognostic factor for patients with triple-negative breast cancer?

  • Original Article – Clinical Oncology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Objective

To evaluate the prognostic potential of vimentin, p53, EGFR, CK5/6, CK 14, and CK 17 in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Material and methods

Tumor specimens of 60 patients with histologically confirmed TNBC were retrospectively analyzed. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded blocks of the tumor tissue were used to prepare tissue microarrays (TMAs). After immune-histochemical staining, protein expression of vimentin, p53, EGFR, CK5/6, CK 14, and CK 17 was determined and the immunoreactive score (IRS) was calculated. The protein expression was correlated to overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

Results

Ninety percent of patients suffered from an invasive ductal carcinoma T1 or T2, 66.7% were N0, and 70% had a G3 tumor with Ki67 of > 14%. Vimentin expression was found in 28/60 patients (46.7%), p53 expression in 30/60 patients (50%), and EGFR expression in 3/60 patients (5%). CK5/6, CK14, and CK17 expression was found in 60.0%, 63.3%, and 66.7%, respectively. Vimentin expression vs no expression was associated with significantly higher mean Ki67 values (52.5% vs. 31.1%; p = 0.0013) and significantly higher p53 expression (67.9% vs. 34.4%; p = 0.0097). No significant association between vimentin expression and OS (p = 0.7710) or DFS (p = 0.5558) was found during a mean follow-up of 92 months.

Conclusion

None of the six proteins proved to be suitable prognostic factors for OS and DSF in patients with TNBC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine, University Medical School of Saarland, Kirrberger Straße, 66421, Homburg/Saar, Germany

    Gilda Schmidt, Erich-Franz Solomayer, Christoph Gerlinger, Julia Caroline Radosa, Jan Endrikat & Mariz Kasoha

  2. Institute of General and Special Pathology, University Medical School of Saarland, 66421, Homburg, Germany

    Rainer Maria Bohle

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  1. Gilda Schmidt
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  2. Erich-Franz Solomayer
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  3. Rainer Maria Bohle
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  4. Christoph Gerlinger
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  5. Julia Caroline Radosa
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  7. Mariz Kasoha
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Correspondence to Gilda Schmidt.

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Schmidt, G., Solomayer, EF., Bohle, R.M. et al. Is vimentin a potential prognostic factor for patients with triple-negative breast cancer?. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 146, 2109–2116 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03210-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00432-020-03210-0

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