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Validation of UBE2C protein as a prognostic marker in node-positive breast cancer
D Loussouarn1, L Campion, F Leclair
1Service d'Anatomie Pathologique B, Hôpital G&R Laënnec, Bd J Monod, Nantes, Saint Herblain Cedex, France.
Background:
We recently identified and validated UBE2C RNA as a prognostic marker in 252 node-positive (N+) breast cancers by means of a microarray study. The aim of this study was to validate UBE2C protein as a prognostic marker in N+ breast cancer by immunohistochemistry (IHC).
Methods:
To this end, 92 paraffin-embedded blocks were used. The impact of UBE2C IHC value on metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated and compared with Ki-67 and Nottingham prognostic index (NPI) performances.
Results:
In accordance with genomic data, UBE2C IHC had a significant impact both on MFS and OS (hazard ratio=6.79 - P=0.002; hazard ratio=7.14 - P=0.009, respectively). Akaike information criterion proved that the prognostic power of UBE2C IHC was stronger than that of Ki-67 (and close to that of NPI). Furthermore, multivariate analyses with NPI showed that, contrary to Ki-67 IHC, UBE2C IHC remained an independent factor, both for MFS (adjusted P=0.02) and OS (adjusted P=0.04).
Conclusion:
We confirmed that UBE2C protein measured by IHC could be used as a prognostic marker in N+ breast cancer. The potential predictive interest of UBE2C as a marker of proteasome activity needs further investigations.