Loss of PTEN expression is associated with IGFBP2 expression, younger age, and late stage in triple-negative breast cancer

Koobotse, Moses O.; Holly, Jeff M.P.; Perks, Claire M.; Dean, Sarah J; Bhoo-Pathy, Nirmala; Looi, Lai Meng; Mohammed, Nur Aishah Taib; Mun, Kein Seong; Teo, Soo Hwang; Yip, Cheng Har; Rhodes, Anthony

Abstract

© American Society for Clinical Pathology. Objectives: To investigate the association between PTEN loss and IGFBP2 expression in a series of triple-negative breast cancers and to relate this expression to basal cytokeratin expression and clinicopathologic features. Methods: One hundred and one formalin-fixed and paraffin-processed triple-negative breast cancer cases from the University of Malaya Medical Centre were tested immunohistochemically for cytokeratins 5/6 and 14, PTEN, and IGFBP2. The resulting slides were scored for proportion and intensity of staining. Results: Loss of tumor nuclear and cytoplasmic staining for PTEN occurred in 48.3% of cases and was significantly associated with younger age at diagnosis (47 years compared with 57 years in those without PTEN loss; P = .005). Independent predictors of PTEN loss were late stage at presentation ( P = .026), cytokeratin 5/6 positivity ( P = .028), and IGFBP2 expression ( P = .042). High levels of IGFBP2 expression were seen in 32% of cases; an independent predictor of high levels was cytokeratin 14 negativity ( P = .005). PTEN loss and high levels of IGFBP2 expression were associated with poorer survival, but neither of these trends was significant. Conclusions: PTEN loss is a frequent event in triple-negative breast cancers and is significantly associated with younger age at onset of breast cancer, late stage, and IGFBP2 expression.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 1, 2014
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2014
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 6, 2019
• Journal: American Journal of Clinical Pathology
• Print ISSN: 1943-7722
• Electronic ISSN: 0002-9173
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 141
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 323-333
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1309/AJCPR11DEAYPTUSL
• Keywords: PTEN, IGFBP2, triple-negative breast cancer
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/820533
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1309/AJCPR11DEAYPTUSL
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in American Journal of Clinical Pathology following peer review. The version of record Dean, S., Perks, C., Holly, J., Bhoo-Pathy, N., Looi, L.-M., Mohammed, N. A. T., Mun, K.-S., Teo, S.-H., Koobotse, M., Yip, C.-H. and Rhodes, A. (2014) Loss of PTEN expression is associated with IGFBP2 expression, younger age, and late stage in triple-negative breast cancer. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 141 (3). pp. 323-333 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1309/AJCPR11DEAYPTUSL