Connexin 43 is an independent predictor of patient outcome in breast cancer patients

Chasampalioti, Maria; Green, Andrew R.; Ellis, Ian O.; Rakha, Emad A.; Jackson, Andrew M.; Spendlove, Ian; Ramage, Judith M.

Abstract

Purpose

Gap junctions are specialized membrane structures that form channels between adjacent cells allowing cell communication. Gap junctions and specifically Connexin 43 (Cx43) are down-regulated in cancer; however, there are contrasting reports on how this effects breast cancer patient survival. This paper is the first large-scale tissue microarray analysis of Cx43 expression in breast cancer patients with an associated clinical long-term follow-up.

Methods

Using a validated TMA of 1118 primary breast cancers, coupled to a comprehensive database of clinicopathological variables, the expression levels and subcellular localisation of Cx43 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Its impact in terms of survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and clinicopathological variables was determined.

Results

Patients whose tumors expressed high levels of Cx43 had significantly better survival (p 

Citation

Chasampalioti, M., Green, A. R., Ellis, I. O., Rakha, E. A., Jackson, A. M., Spendlove, I., & Ramage, J. M. (2019). Connexin 43 is an independent predictor of patient outcome in breast cancer patients. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 174(1), 93-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5063-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 16, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 24, 2018
• Publication Date: Feb 28, 2019
• Deposit Date: Nov 27, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 28, 2018
• Journal: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
• Print ISSN: 0167-6806
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-7217
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 174
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 93-102
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5063-9
• Keywords: Cancer Research; Oncology
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1314028
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10549-018-5063-9
• Contract Date: Nov 28, 2018