Subtype-specific alterations of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in different molecular subtypes of breast carcinomas / 临床与实验病理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Purpose To study the levels and subcellular localization of β-catenin in 5 different molecular subtypes of breast carcino-mas. Methods An immunohistochemical study was undertaken for measuring the levels and subcellular localization ofβ-catenin in 58 breast carcinomas. Results ( 1 ) The cytoplasmic expression of β-catenin was 21. 1%, 50%, 60%, 100% and 60% ( TNBC 84. 6%) in Lumina A, Lumina B, HER-2-OE, basal-like breast carcinoma ( BLBC) and uncl phenotype respectively. High cytoplas-mic expression was associated with the BLBC and TNBC subtypes ( P<0. 05 ) . ( 2 ) An association was identified between high cyto-plasmic expression of β-catenin, and high tumor grade (P<0. 01), abnormal E-cadherin, positive Ki-67 and CK5/6 (P<0. 05), negative ER and PR (P<0. 01), but no association was observed for lymph node metastasis, tumor size and patients’age. Conclu-sion An association is identified between high cytoplasmic expression, and high tumor grade, positive Ki-67 and CK5/6, negative ER and PR, that means a high cytoplasmic expression ofβ-catenin is associated with an adverse outcome in breast cancer. High cytoplas-mic expression are associated with the BLBC and TNBC subtypes whcih recognizing Wnt signaling as a rational target in TNBC and BLBC. The results of the study have implications for therapeutic target identification and the design of future clinical trials for TNBC and BLBC.