Integrin ?11?1 is expressed in breast cancer stroma and associates with aggressive tumor phenotypes.

ABSTRACT: Cancer-associated fibroblasts are essential modifiers of the tumor microenvironment. The collagen-binding integrin ?11?1 has been proposed to be upregulated in a pro-tumorigenic subtype of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Here, we analyzed the expression and clinical relevance of integrin ?11?1 in a large breast cancer series using a novel antibody against the human integrin ?11 chain. Several novel monoclonal antibodies against the integrin ?11 subunit were tested for use on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues, and Ab 210F4B6A4 was eventually selected to investigate the immunohistochemical expression in 392 breast cancers using whole sections. mRNA data from METABRIC and co-expression patterns of integrin ?11 in relation to ?SMA and cytokeratin-14 were also investigated. Integrin ?11 was expressed to varying degrees in spindle-shaped cells in the stroma of 99% of invasive breast carcinomas. Integrin ?11 co-localized with ?SMA in stromal cells, and with ?SMA and cytokeratin-14 in breast myoepithelium. High stromal integrin ?11 expression (66% of cases) was associated with aggressive breast cancer features such as high histologic grade, increased tumor cell proliferation, ER negativity, HER2 positivity, and triple-negative phenotype, but was not associated with breast cancer specific survival at protein or mRNA levels. In conclusion, high stromal integrin ?11 expression was associated with aggressive breast cancer phenotypes.

SUBMITTER: Smeland HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6966706 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature