ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the expression of epidermal fatty acid-binding protein (E-FABP) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) in human breast cancer and identify the potential markers and therapeutic targets for breast cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>FAS and E-FABP expressions were detected in 76 patients with infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma using RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. The possible associations of the expression of the two proteins with the major clinicopathological factors were analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>E-FABP and FAS expression levels were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in grade III as compared with grades I and II infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma. There was a positive correlation between E-FABP and FAS expressions, but their expressions were not correlated to the clinicopathological factors of the patients except for the tumor grades. High E-FABP expression level in grades I and II tumors were associated with an early increased responsiveness to FAS.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The variation of the E-FABP and FAS expressions in the lesions is associated with increase of the risk for breast cancer, and the results of this study provide evidence for developing new molecular markers of high-risk lesions and identifying new the targets for breast cancer therapy.</p>