Cancer Res Treat.  2009 Sep;41(3):155-163.

Leptin and Leptin Receptor Expression in Breast Cancer

• Kim HS

Abstract

PURPOSE
Leptin is a multifunctional hormone that's produced by adipose tissue and leptin is involved in the regulation of food intake and energy balance. The aims of this study were to determine the leptin and leptin receptor (Ob-R) expressions in human breast cancer and their corresponding influence on the prognosis of patients with breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We examined the correlations between the leptin and Ob-R expressions and the breast cancer-related pathobiologic markers by performing immunohistochemistry in 517 patients with breast cancer. We analyzed the leptin and Ob-R expressions with respect to overall survival and relapse-free survival (RFS). RESULTS: Positive cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for leptin was noted in 39% of the patients and 79% of the patients showed positive cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for Ob-R. The expression of leptin in breast cancer was correlated with a high Ki-67 labeling index (p=0.019). Based on the univariate survival analysis, the clinicopathologic variables with prognostic value included the histologic grade, the T stage, the N stage, the HER2 status, the Bcl-2, p53 and Ki-67 expressions (p<0.05). The patients with leptin-positive breast cancers and a negative hormone receptor status had a significantly longer overall survival (p=0.021). Multivariate survival analysis showed that a positive expression of leptin was an independent prognostic marker for overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.04~0.99; p=0.05). CONCLUSION: A leptin expression in breast cancer is significantly associated with the Ki-67 labeling index, and this suggests there is an association of a leptin expression with the proliferation activity. In addition, a leptin expression is an indicator of better survival for breast cancer patients.

Keyword

Breast neoplasms; Leptin; Leptin receptor; Survival

MeSH Terms

Adipose Tissue
Breast
Breast Neoplasms
Cytoplasm
Eating
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Leptin
Prognosis
Receptors, Leptin
Leptin
Receptors, Leptin

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Immunohistochemical detection of a leptin expression and an Ob-R expression in breast cancer tissues. (A~C for leptin.) (A) is negative, (B) is weak positive and (C) is strong positive. (D~F for Ob-R.) (D) is negative, (E) is weak positive and (F) is strong positive.

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  Fig. 2 Overall survival according to a leptin expression in (A) all the patients and the subgroup analyses according to the hormone receptor status, (B) is negative hormone receptor and (C) is positive hormone receptor. The dotted line represents a negative leptin expression and the continuous line represents a positive leptin expression.

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