Lymphatic metastasis is related to the epithelial

Authors: Lihui Wang Lianhong Li Shen Lv Shujun Fan Li Zhan Bo Wang Zhong Zhang

Publish Date: 2009/04/20

Volume: 3, Issue: 2, Pages: 164-170

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Abstract

The invasion and metastasis of breast cancer are supposed to involve several stages in which epithelialmesenchymal transition EMT is regarded as the mechanistic basis for the behavior of cancer cells A series of factors related to EMT are apparently involved in such process The current study aimed to investigate the contributions of EMT and related factors in lymph node metastasis of breast cancer The expressions of Ecadherin ECad Ncadherin NCad vascular endothelial cell growth factor VEGF matrix metalloproteinase9 MMP9 cyclooxygenase2 COX2 and CD34 were examined in 74 cases of breast cancer including 39 cases with lymph node metastasis and 35 cases without lymph node metastasis by immunohistochemistry Multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the patients’ prognosis The expressions of NCad VEGF MMP9 and COX2 in cases with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis P005 while the ECad level was inversely related to status of lymph node metastasis P005 The metastasis rate of lymph node in the cases with EMT lower ECad expression and higher NCad expression was 783 while that without EMT higher ECad expression and lower NCad expression was 111 There was a statistical difference in the expression of COX2 protein between histological grade I and grade II or III respectively P005 In the cases with higher grade the expression of ECad was decreased while that of NCad was increased Higher microvascular density MVD was also found to be significantly associated with lymphatic metastasis P005 and the cases with higher MVD had shorter survival time This study indicates that EMT and expressions of VEGF MMP9 and COX2 and MVD value are strongly correlated with lymph node metastasis in breast cancer

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