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Distinct claudin expression characterizes BRCA 1 ‐related breast cancer
Author(s) -
Heerma van Voss Marise R,
Diest Paul J,
Smolders Yvonne H C M,
Bart Joost,
Wall Elsken,
Groep Petra
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1111/his.12490
Subject(s) - claudin , breast cancer , immunohistochemistry , cancer , cancer research , medicine , oncology , brca mutation , ca 15 3 , pathology , ca15 3 , biology , tight junction , genetics
Aims Members of the claudin family are involved in cancer progression and are differentially expressed in subtypes of breast cancer. Breast cancers in BRCA 1 germ line mutation carriers have distinct clinicopathological characteristics. Biomarkers that discriminate between BRCA 1 ‐related and sporadic breast cancer cases are needed to improve early identification of mutation carriers. In this study we evaluated protein expression of five major claudins in BRCA 1 ‐related breast cancers in comparison with sporadic controls. Methods and results Forty breast cancers in BRCA 1 mutation carriers and 40 age‐matched sporadic breast cancers were immunohistochemically stained for claudins 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7. Total intratumoural expression levels were compared to those in the surrounding normal tissue. In addition, subcellular claudin expression was scored. Higher overexpression rates were observed for all five claudins in BRCA 1 ‐related breast cancers when compared to sporadic controls. In multivariate analysis, overexpression of claudin 3, 4, and 7 was mainly dependent on ER ‐status, whereas overexpression of claudin 6 and high membranous expression of claudin 1 were independent of other characteristics. Conclusions BRCA 1 ‐related breast cancers are characterized by frequent overexpression of claudins. Especially claudin 1 and 6 expression may help to discriminate mutation carriers from sporadic breast cancer cases.