POTENTIAL PROGNOSTIC VALUE IN HUMAN BREAST-CANCER OF CYTOSOLIC NME1 PROTEIN-DETECTION USING AN ORIGINAL HEN SPECIFIC ANTIBODY

The metastasis-suppressor nine gene (also called nm23), first identifi ed in murine melanoma cells, exists as two forms in human: nme1 and nm e2. However, only the lack of expression of nme1 has been related to d istant metastasis appearance in human breast cancer. The aim of this w ork was first to raise specific antibodies to allow the analysis of Nm e1 and then, with this specific tool, to evaluate the predictive value of Nme1 detection in cytosolic extracts of human breast tumours. We o btained a hen antibody that specifically reacts with Nme1 without any cross-reaction with Nme2. We analysed the expression of the protein in 59 human breast rumours and found a significant relationship between this expression and oestrogen receptor status (P<0.001). Moreover, Nme 1 expression is related to metastasis-free survival(P<0.001) and survi val of patients (P<0.001). The determination of Nme1 expression in pri mary tumours using our antibody should be an interesting predictive te st of the metastasis for clinical investigations.