Down Regulation of KAI1/CD82 in Lymph Node Positive and Advanced T-Stage Group in Breast Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: Metastasis represents a deadly aspect of any cancer including breast cancer, given its high prevalence; treatment of metastatic breast cancer remains a clinically unmet need, which necessitates the exploration of metastasis suppressor genes (MSGs). KAI-1/CD82 is an important member of MSGs; the role of KAI1 has been well explored in prostate cancer, however its role in breast cancer is not fully explored and in fact the results of breast cancer studies are contentious. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate expression of KAI1 at both transcriptional and translational levels in the tissue of breast cancer patients and benign breast disease. Further, we analysed the relationship between expression levels of KAI1 and clinicopathological parameters in breast cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: mRNA expression was studied by Real time PCR and protein expression was analyzed by both Western blot and Immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The results of the study indicate that KAI1 expression was remarkably decreased in breast cancer both at the gene and the protein levels (P < 0.05) compared to benign breast disease. In addition, KAI1 expression levels were strongly associated with axillary lymph node status and advanced T stage (p < 0.05), however no association was found with tumor grade, age, menopausal status and receptor status like ER, PR and Her2. CONCLUSION: Low expression of KAI1 might be helpful for predicting the lymph node metastasis and T staging, thus predicts malignant prognosis of breast cancer.