Association of CD44 and CD24 phenotype with lymph node metastasis and survival in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND

CD44CD24 phenotypes are associated with poor outcome of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); however, the role of the CD44CD24 phenotype in lymph node metastasis and survival has not been fully understood in TNBC.

METHODS

A total of 51 TNBC patients were included. CD44 and CD24 expression was determined using immunohistochemistry by which CD44 and CD24 were double-immunostained. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The proportion of the CD44CD24 phenotype was 33.3% in TNBC specimens without lymph node metastases and 69.0% in those with lymph node metastases. In addition, the CD44CD24 phenotype correlated significantly with tumor size, histologic classification, TNM stage, and lymph node metastasis ( < 0.05). The CD44CD24 phenotype was detected in 69.0% of TNBC patients with lymph node metastases, and 51.7% of TNBC patients without lymph node metastases. In TNBC patients without lymph node metastases, the median DFS and OS were 18.2 and 28 months in cases with a CD44CD24 phenotype and 26.5 and 42.5 months in those without a CD44CD24 phenotype ( < 0.05), and in TNBC patients with lymph node metastases, the median DFS and OS were 17.2 and 25.7 months in cases with a CD44CD24 phenotype and 24.5 and 39.3 months in those without a CD44CD24 phenotype, respectively ( < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

CD44 and CD24 are independent prognostic markers for patients with TNBC. The CD44CD24 phenotype correlates with more aggressive clinicopathologic features and is strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with TNBC.