Hsp27, angiogenesis and cadherins in human breast cancer biopsy samples

FANELLI M. A.; CUELLO CARRIÓN F. D.; GAGO F. E.; TELLO O.; CIOCCA D. R.

San Francisco, CA, USA

Congreso; 93rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2002

American Association for Cancer Research

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease and the correct identification of the patients who will have a poor prognosis is of clinical value to provide the best treatment options and to plan the follow-up. There are several pathological and molecular prognostic factors and it is clear that the combination of several of them will be necessary to discover the patients with poor prognosis, e.g. those developing distant metastases. In the present study we have evaluated the prognostic significance of Hsp27 in the blood vessels of breast cancer patients correlating its expression with that of: a) coagulating factor VIII (FVIII, used to measure angiogenesis), and b) cadherins (E-cadherin and P-cadherin) and Beta-catenin. Cadherins are important molecules involved in cell-cell adhesión, some of them have been related with the prognosis of breast cancer. The study involved 113 patients, 76 with a median follow-up of 5 years. The breast cancer biopsy samples were processed for immunohistochemistry. Hsp27 could be detected in the endothelium of small blood vessels as well as in the tumor cells, the number of Hsp27-positive vessels was higher in the tumor areas with infiltrating Iymphocytes. There was no correlation between the presence of Hsp27-positive blood vessels and the amount of blood vessels positive for FVIII, FVIII was a better marker for angiogenesis. The expression of Hsp27 in the blood vessels did not correlate with the development of distant metástasis, however, angiogenesis (FVIII) correlated with poor prognosis (P < 0.02). Tumors expressing P-cadherin showed more Hsp27-negative blood vessels (P < 0.05). The presence of P-cadherin (but not E-cadherin) in the membrane of tumor cells was associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.02). In tumor cells, Hsp27 did not correlate with P-cadherin expression. Beta-catenin content did not correlate with P-cadherin expression with disease prognosis. In summary, poor prognosis was seen in patients with P-cadherin expression and with elevated angiogenesis.