Abstract |
Hu- antigen R (HuR), a RNA-binding protein, is considered to play a crucial role in tumor development and progression by stabilizing or regulating a group of cellular mRNAs of cancer-related genes, such as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). The present study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of HuR and COX-2 expression in invasive breast carcinoma. HuR and COX-2 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue sections obtained from 121 patients and was statistically analyzed with clinicopathological parameters, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), as well as with tumor cells' proliferative capacity and overall and disease-free patients' survival. High HuR expression was positively associated with larger tumor size and advanced disease stage (p = 0.0234 and p = 0.0361, respectively), being more frequently observed in ER negative cases (p = 0.0208). High COX-2 expression was negatively associated with histological (p < 0.0001) and nuclear (p = 0.0033) grade and tumor cells' proliferative rate (p = 0.0015), being more frequently observed in luminal-A compared to other molecular subtypes (p = 0.0221). High HuR expression was associated with poor overall and disease-free patients' survival at both univariate (log-rank test, p = 0.0092 and p = 0.0004, respectively) and multivariate (Cox-regression analysis, p = 0.0223 and p = 0.0004, respectively) level. On the other hand, high COX-2 expression was associated with favorable overall and disease-free patients' survival merely at univariate level (log-rank test, p = 0.0389 and p = 0.0154, respectively). HuR expression was not associated with COX-2 expression (Spearman R = 0.1489, p = 0.1032). The present data support evidence that HuR is associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis in breast carcinoma, reinforcing its potential as promising therapeutic target in this type of neoplasia.
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Authors | Constantinos Giaginis, Anastasia Sampani, Iolly Kotta-Loizou, Ioanna Giannopoulou, Eugene Danas, Ekaterini Politi, Gerasimos Tsourouflis, Gregorios Kouraklis, Efstratios Patsouris, Antonios Keramopoulos, Lydia Nakopoulou, Stamatios Theocharis |
Journal | Pathology oncology research : POR
(Pathol Oncol Res)
Vol. 24
Issue 3
Pg. 631-640
(Jul 2018)
ISSN: 1532-2807 [Electronic] Switzerland |
PMID | 28808873
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Biomarkers, Tumor
- ELAV-Like Protein 1
- ELAVL1 protein, human
- Cyclooxygenase 2
- PTGS2 protein, human
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Biomarkers, Tumor
(metabolism)
- Breast Neoplasms
(metabolism, pathology, surgery)
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast
(metabolism, pathology, surgery)
- Carcinoma, Lobular
(metabolism, pathology, surgery)
- Cyclooxygenase 2
(metabolism)
- ELAV-Like Protein 1
(metabolism)
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Neoplasm Invasiveness
- Prognosis
- Survival Rate
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