@article{3113148, title = "Simultaneous evaluation of maspin and CXCR4 in patients with breast cancer", author = "Tsoli, E. and Tsantoulis, P.K. and Papalambros, A. and Perunovic, B. and England, D. and Rowlands, D.A. and Reynolds, G.M. and Vlachodimitropoulos, D. and Morgan, S.L. and Spiliopoulou, C.A. and Athanasiou, T. and Gorgoulis, V.G.", journal = "Journal of Clinical Pathology", year = "2007", volume = "60", number = "3", pages = "261-266", issn = "0021-9746, 1472-4146", doi = "10.1136/jcp.2006.037887", keywords = "CD34 antigen; chemokine receptor CXCR4; maspin, angiogenesis; apoptosis; article; breast carcinoma; cancer grading; cancer survival; controlled study; female; human; human tissue; immunodetection; immunohistochemistry; major clinical study; microvasculature; nick end labeling; priority journal; prognosis; protein expression; tissue microarray, Aged; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast; Carcinoma, Lobular; Female; Genes, Tumor Suppressor; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Proteins; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Prognosis; Protein Array Analysis; Receptors, CXCR4; Serpins; Survival Analysis; Tumor Markers, Biological", abstract = "Aim: To study simultaneously the actions of maspin and CXCR4, which share several similar pathways in cancer, including apoptosis and angiogenesis. Methods: Our material consisted of 151 invasive breast carcinomas arranged in a tissue microarray setting. Maspin and CXCR4 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Microvessel density was assessed by CD34 immunodetection and apoptosis by the Tdt-mediated dUTP nick end labelling assay. Results: Maspin expression was related to CXCR4 expression, apoptosis, patient age and the Nottingham prognostic index. The expression of both maspin and CXCR4 progressively increased in high-grade tumours. In patients with lymph node negative breast cancer, maspin overexpression was associated with increased risk of death. High CXCR4 expression was associated with prolonged survival of patients with high maspin expression. Conclusions: Our results show that maspin overexpression could prove to be a potentially useful marker, especially for the clinically important group of patients with lymph node negative breast cancer. The expression of CXCR4 is of less significance in our study, but may be informative for specific patient subsets or in a longer time frame." }