This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fritzsche, F. R. Articles by Kristiansen, G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Fritzsche, F. R. Articles by Kristiansen, G.

Prognostic Relevance of AGR2 Expression in Breast Cancer

Authors' Affiliations: ¹ Institute of Pathology and ² Breast Centre, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany; ³ Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Aachen, Germany; and ⁴ Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland

Requests for reprints: Glen Kristiansen, Institut für Pathologie, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Schumannstrasse 20-21, 10117 Berlin, Germany. Phone: 49-30-450-536145; Fax: 49-30-450-563945; E-mail: glen.kristiansen{at}charite.de.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the expression of the human anterior gradient-2 (AGR2) in breast cancer on RNA and protein level and to correlate it with clinicopathologic data, including patient survival.

Experimental Design: AGR2 mRNA expression was assessed by reverse transcription-PCR in 25 breast cancer samples and normal tissues. A polyclonal rabbit AGR antiserum was used for immunohistochemistry on 155 clinicopathologically characterized cases. Statistical analyses were applied to test for prognostic and diagnostic associations.

Results: Immunohistochemical detection of AGR2 was statistically significantly associated with positive estrogen receptor status and lower tumor grade. AGR2-positive tumors showed significantly longer overall survival times in univariate analyses. For the subgroup of nodal-negative tumors, an independent prognostic value of AGR2 was found.

Conclusions: The expression of AGR2 in breast cancer is strongly associated with markers of tumor differentiation (estrogen receptor positivity, lower tumor grade). A prognostic effect of AGR2 for overall survival could be shown, which became independently significant for the group of nodal-negative tumors.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Z. Wang, Y. Hao, and A. W. Lowe The Adenocarcinoma-Associated Antigen, AGR2, Promotes Tumor Growth, Cell Migration, and Cellular Transformation Cancer Res., January 15, 2008; 68(2): 492 - 497. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]