PROGNOSTIC-SIGNIFICANCE OF LAMININ PRODUCTION IN RELATION WITH ITS RECEPTOR EXPRESSION IN HUMAN BREAST CARCINOMAS

Laminin is a basement membrane glycoprotein whose expression has been widely related to cancer progression. Laminin production by primary br east carcinomas was investigated using immunohistochemistry on archiva l specimens from a retrospective series with long term follow-up. Lami nin production was found to be independent of the clinical and patholo gical variables analyzed, whereas a statistically significant direct a ssociation with the expression of the laminin receptor and a negative association with the differentiation-related antigen Ca-MBr8 were obse rved. Survival analysis indicated that laminin positivity by itself ha s no prognostic significance. However, when analyzed together with the laminin receptor expression, laminin was associated with a good progn osis in receptor-negative tumors and with the worst prognosis in recep tor-positive tumors.