Prognostic role of Amphiregulin and the correlation with androgen receptor in invasive breast cancer

Abstract Background In androgen-sensitive prostate cancer, androgenic stimulation induces the synthesis of amphiregulin (AREG). Research is lacking on the role of AREG in invasive breast cancer and the co-expression with androgen receptor (AR) status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study investigated the prognostic role of AREG in invasive breast cancer cases ( N  = 298) and the co-expression with the AR status as analysed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results The samples were divided into groups according to AREG expression levels: low/no expression (AREG low/no ) and high expression (AREG high ). As shown by cytoplasmic immunostaining, 46.0% (137/298) of invasive breast cancers were AREG high , and 54.0% (161/298) of cases were AREG low/no . Co-expression of the AR and AREG accounted for 62.4% (186/298) of cases. A Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed that AREG high and AR + /AREG high decreased patients’ overall survival (OS) ( P = .002 and P = .006, respectively) and disease-free survival (DFS) ( P P + /AREG high remained an independent prognostic indicator of OS and DFS in invasive breast cancer (hazard ratio [HR], 0.591, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.407-0.859, P  =  .006; HR, 0.449, 95% CI, 0.236-0.853, P  =  .014, respectively). AREG high remained an independent prognostic indicator of OS and DFS in estrogen receptor (ER)-negative tumours ( P Conclusions This study suggested that AREG and the AR were co-expressed in invasive breast cancer. Thus, AREG and the AR may be valuable prognostic biomarkers in invasive breast cancer and promising therapeutic targets, especially in ER-negative breast cancer.