Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2026
Studying Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Orthotopic Breast Cancer Model
Published on: March 20, 2020
The Prognostic Role of Vimentin Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Erwin Danil Yulian1, Tantri Hellyanti2, Karl Heinz Leonhardt Rowika3
1Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Introduction:
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with the poorest prognosis and aggressive biological behavior. In Indonesia, approximately 15%-25% of breast cancer cases fall into the TNBC category. One of the biological markers involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and tumor progression of TNBC is vimentin. Positive vimentin expression has been reported to correlate with reduced survival; however, data in the Indonesian population remain limited.
Methods:
This retrospective study included 29 TNBC patients who received treatment at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital between 2017 and 2022, with a 3-year follow-up period. Clinicopathological data and vimentin expression were analyzed using bivariate analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.
Results:
Most patients were aged ≥ 40 years (82.8%), had a normal body mass index (82.8%), presented with locally advanced disease (72.4%), high histopathological grade (62.1%), and high Ki-67 expression (72.4%). A significant association was observed between vimentin expression and overall survival (p = 0.019), where increased vimentin expression was associated with reduced survival (mean survival 30.42 months in the negative group vs. 20.86 months in the positive group). Vimentin expression was also significantly associated with Ki-67 expression (p = 0.045), indicating a link between cellular proliferation and activation of EMT. Further analysis in patients with TNBC demonstrated that positive vimentin expression significantly increased the risk of mortality (p = 0.015; HR 5.64; 95% CI 1.39-22.7), while inadequate treatment was also associated with poorer overall survival (p = 0.011; HR 4.05; 95% CI 1.37-11.9).
Conclusion:
Vimentin expression is significantly associated with reduced overall survival in patients with TNBC and correlates with high Ki-67 expression, reflecting tumor aggressiveness and activation of EMT. Inadequate treatment also contributes to poorer survival outcomes. These findings highlight the potential role of vimentin as a prognostic molecular marker in TNBC within the Indonesian population.