Significance of soluble endothelial molecule E-selectin in patients with breast cancer

Increasing evidence suggests that endothelial cells are involved in tumor g rowth and metastasis. E-selectin, an adhesion molecule specifically express ed or secreted by activated endothelial cells, may enhance tumor angiogenes is and the adhesion of tumor cells to endothelial cells at distant sites. T he aim of this study was to assess the relationship between concentrations of circulating soluble E-selectin and clinical, pathological and biological features in patients with breast cancer (BC). sE-selectin concentrations w ere analyzed by an ELISA method in sera from 113 patients with metastatic B C, 30 patients with primary inflammatory, BC, 105 patients with primary non -inflammatory BC, 456 patients with node-negative BC, and 42 healthy contro ls, sE-selectin in the metastatic BC group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group. In metastatic BC, sE-selectin was significantly higher in patients with liver metastases than in patients without Ih,er me tastases. In patients with primary non-inflammatory BC, a negative correlat ion was found between sE-selectin concentrations and tumoral microvessel co unt. In over-all and disease-free survival studies performed in the node-ne gative population (median follow-up duration 7.5 years), multivariate analy ses demonstrated a prognostic value of sE-selectin and tumor size. This stu dy suggests that endothelial activation might play a role in the developmen t of BC. This role seems not to be related to angiogenesis.