ERM/Rho protein expression in ductal breast cancer: a 15 year follow-up

• Published in: Cellular oncology (Dordrecht) Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 181 - 190
• Main Authors: Halon, Agnieszka, Donizy, Piotr, Surowiak, Pawel, Matkowski, Rafal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cancer Research; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - pathology; cdc42 GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; Cell Compartmentation; Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Microfilament Proteins - metabolism; Middle Aged; Oncology; Original Paper; Pathology; Receptor, ErbB-2 - metabolism; Receptors, Steroid - metabolism; rho GTP-Binding Proteins - metabolism; rhoA GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; rhoB GTP-Binding Protein - metabolism; Stromal Cells - metabolism; Stromal Cells - pathology; Immunohistochemistry; Breast cancer; Rho proteins; ERM proteins
• ISSN: 2211-3428; 2211-3436
• DOI: 10.1007/s13402-013-0125-9

Purpose The aim of this study was to examine the expression of ERM (ezrin, moesin) and Rho (RhoA, RhoB and Cdc42) proteins in breast cancer (BC) patients and to investigate the relationship between the sub-cellular localisation of these proteins and clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival. Methods The expression and specific sub-cellular distribution of the ERM/Rho proteins was analysed by immunohistochemistry in a homogeneous group of 85 stage II ductal BC patients with a follow-up of 15 years. Results Enhanced immunoreactivity of all analysed proteins was found to be associated with the presence of lymph node metastases (ezrin, P  = 0.047, moesin, P  = 0.038, RhoA, P  = 0.024, RhoB, P  = 0.004 and Cdc42, P  = 0.047). Nuclear localisation of ezrin was found to correlate with the presence of lymph nodes metastases ( P  = 0.004) and with histological de-differentiation ( P  = 0.015). In contrast, we found that the nuclear topography of RhoA and Cdc42, and the perinuclear localisation of RhoB, were strongly associated with a lack of nodal metastases ( P  = 0.008, P  = 0.048, P  = 0.001, respectively), whereas a decreased reactivity of RhoA in the stromal compartment of BC tumours was associated with the presence of lymph node metastases ( P  = 0.011). No relationship was observed between ERM/Rho protein expression and oestrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PgR) or HER-2 reactivity in the BC cells. Also, ERM/Rho protein expression did not predict patient survival, but RhoB over-expression in the stromal compartment of the tumours was found to be associated with a better prognosis ( P  = 0.0106). Conclusions The ERM/Rho immunoprofile and the assessment of its specific sub-cellular localisation may be instrumental for the prediction of lymph node metastases in ductal BC patients.