Gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15) expression in breast cancer subtypes

Abstract

BackgroundGross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15), which is regulated by the androgen receptor (AR), is a diagnostic marker for mammary differentiation in histopathology. We determined the expression of GCDFP-15 in breast cancer subtypes, its potential prognostic and predictive value, as well as its relationship to AR expression.Methods602 pre-therapeutic breast cancer core biopsies from the phase III randomized neoadjuvant GeparTrio trial (NCT00544765) were investigated for GCDFP-15 expression by immunohistochemistry. Expression data were correlated with disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) time as well as pathological complete response (pCR) to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Results239 tumors (39.7%) were GCDFP-15 positive. GCDFP-15 expression was positively linked to hormone receptor (HR) and HER2 positive tumor type, while most triple negative carcinomas were negative (p < 0.0001). GCDFP-15 was also strongly correlated to AR expression (p 0.001), and to the so-called molecular apocrine subtype (HR-/AR+, p < 0.0001). Higher rates of GCDFP-15 positivity were seen in tumors of lower grade (<0.0001) and negative nodal status (p = 0.008). GCDFP-15 positive tumors tended to have a more favourable prognosis than GCDFP-15 negative tumors (DFS (p = 0.052) and OS (p = 0.044)), which was not independent from other factors in multivariate analysis. GCDFP-15 expression was not linked to pCR. Histological apocrine differentiation was frequent in molecular apocrine carcinomas (60.7%), and was associated with GCDFP-15 within this group (p = 0.039).ConclusionsGCDFP-15 expression is higher in tumors with favorable prognostic features. GCDFP-15 expression is further a frequent feature of AR positive tumors and the molecular apocrine subtype. It might have reduced sensitivity as a diagnostic marker for mammary differentiation in triple negative tumors as compared to HR or HER2 positive tumor types.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2407-14-546) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

GATA3 expression in morphologic subtypes of breast carcinoma: a comparison with gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 and mammaglobin

“…For that reason, a multitude of IHC markers are now used toward that end. Stains for mammaglobin and GCDFP-15 have been employed to potentially label secondary deposits of breast cancer, and the sensitivity of those markers has ranged from 10% to 80% in various reports [18,19]. In particular, their expression is said to be limited in high-grade ductal and lobular mammary adenocarcinomas [18,19].…”

“…Before the availability of GATA3, gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15) and mammaglobin were the 2 most commonly used IHC markers of mammary epithelial differentiation. However, those determinants are less than completely sensitive, especially with regard to highgrade breast carcinomas, with several studies showing diagnostic sensitivities of less than 50% [18,19]. In comparison, Miettinen et al [16] found that GATA3 was 93% sensitive and 100% specific for breast carcinoma in an analysis of 230 ductal tumors and 38 lobular lesions.…”

Primary lung cancer with metastasis to the ipsilateral breast-a case report

“…Its expression is higher in tumours with favourable prognostic features. 41 GCDFP-15 was not detected in our case.…”

Pyloric Metastases from Primary Breast Cancer- A Case Report and Literature Review

“…It was positive in our case. Gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP-15), is a marker of value in differentiation of breast tissue;its expression is higher in tumours with favourable prognostic features [19] . GCDFP-15…”