EXPRESSION OF NM23-H1 GENE AND SIALYL-LEWIS-X ANTIGEN IN BREAST-CANCER

The nm23 gene has been proposed as a candidate tumor metastasis suppre ssor in some human cancers. Sialyl Lewis X (sLex) has been demonstrate d to play an important role in the adhesion of human cancer cells to h uman vascular endothelium, inducing metastasis. Little information has been reported about the correlation between the expression of nm23 an d sialylated carbohydrate antigens. In the present study, 102 surgical ly resected primary breast cancer tissues were sectioned and stained w ith antibody against nm23-H1 and sLex. Of the 102 cases, 39 (38.2%) ca ses with a reduced expression of nm23-H1 were observed, and the number s of sLex-positive cases were 61 (59.8%), respectively. The reduced ex pression of nm23-H1 and the positive expression of sLex were significa ntly associated with lymph node involvement. Among the 100 patients wh o underwent curative surgery, the disease-free survival rate was signi ficantly correlated to both the nm23-H1 and sLex expressions. No inter related expressions were found between nm23-H1 and sLex. In multivaria te analysis using Cox regression model, combination assay of nm23-H1 a nd sLex expression emerged as independent significant prognostic facto rs. These results suggest that nm23-H1 gene and sLex may be involved i n different steps of the metastatic process in human breast cancer, an d immunohistochemical detection of the combination of sLex and nm23-H1 may be a biologic marker of prognostic significance.