Relationship Between Molecular Subtype of Invasive Breast Carcinoma and Expression of Gross Cystic Disease Fluid Protein 15 and Mammaglobin

Abstract

We investigated the expression of gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP) and mammaglobin (MGB) by immunohistochemical analysis in 71 invasive breast carcinomas (IBCs) subtyped into luminal (A and B), HER2, basal-like carcinoma (BLC), and unclassified triple-negative carcinoma (UTNC) by established surrogate immunohistochemical profiles. GCDFP and MGB were less likely to be expressed in BLC than in HER2 cancers (P = .000021 and P = .013, respectively) or luminal cancers (P = .00002 and P = .00008, respectively). However, the difference in GCDFP or MGB expression between HER2 and luminal cancers was not significant (P = 1.0 and P = .671, respectively). Our results suggest that luminal cancers demonstrate similar degrees of apocrine differentiation as HER2 cancers. Most BLCs and UTNCs are negative for MGB and GCDFP. Correlation with clinical findings may be needed to exclude the possibility of a metastasis to the breast when BLCs or UTNCs are encountered in a limited sample such as a core biopsy sample.