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Table 3 Association between circulating CD45neg subpopulations and clinicopathological features of MBC patients

From: In patients with metastatic breast cancer the identification of circulating tumor cells in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is associated with a poor prognosis

  

Absolute number

Fraction over CD45neg (%)

  

E CTC

EM CTC

ETOT CTC

MES

NEG

CD45neg

EM CTC

ETOT CTC

MES

NEG

Tumor characteristics

 HER2

Positive

(N = 11)

3

(0; 9)

0

(0; 3)

3

(1; 12)

22

(6; 42)

0

(0; 14)

42

(19; 118)

0

(0; 3)

16

(4; 25)

81

(33; 97)

0

(0; 38)

 

Negative

(N = 36)

8

(4; 27)

4

(0; 13)

15

(5; 35)

80

(15; 124)

4

(0; 13)

102

(60; 153)

4

(0; 14)

17

(6; 39)

74

(40; 88)

4

(0; 15)

 

p*

0.12

0.029

0.037

0.022

0.84

0.046

0.035

0.37

0.70

0.94

 Profile

Luminal

(N = 25)

8

(4; 32)

4

(1; 15)

16

(6; 53)

72

(14; 103)

0

(0; 9)

97

(59; 197)

4

(0; 14)

19

(6; 55)

70

(39; 90)

0

(0; 6)

 

HER2-positive

(N = 11)

3

(0; 9)

0

(0; 3)

3

(1; 12)

22

(6; 42)

0

(0; 14)

42

(19; 118)

0

(0; 3)

16

(4; 25)

81

(33; 96)

0

(0; 38)

 

TNBC

(N = 11)

9

(2; 24)

3

(0; 9)

15

(2; 30)

84

(29; 125)

9

(5; 18)

124

(60; 150)

2

(0; 8)

16

(3; 21)

79

(60; 86)

15

(4; 16)

 

p**

0.30

0.044

0.087

0.052

0.092

0.12

0.064

0.35

0.93

0.056

 Ki-67

<14 %

(N = 10)

7

(4; 35)

7

(0; 18)

18

(6; 53)

42

(6; 103)

0

(0; 4)

76

(41; 197)

4

(0; 31)

19

(8; 63)

63

(37; 90)

0

(0; 5)

 

≥14 %

(N = 34)

8

(2; 16)

2

(0; 6)

10

(3; 30)

55

(20; 92)

8

(0; 18)

99

(42; 138)

2

(0; 7)

16

(5; 25)

77

(41; 86)

8

(0; 16)

 

p*

0.45

0.15

0.37

0.64

0.039

0.74

0.33

0.39

0.90

0.087

Metastatic site

 Bone

Yes

(N = 29)

10

(4; 32)

4

(0; 15)

20

(7; 52)

45

(14; 84)

2

(0; 12)

95

(48; 126)

5

(0; 14)

25

(14; 55)

60

(33; 81)

2

(0; 14)

 

No

(N = 29)

4

(1; 6)

0

(0; 4)

5

(1; 12)

55

(20; 129)

6

(0; 18)

89

(23; 150)

0

(0; 2)

7

(3; 16

85

(75; 90)

6

(0; 16)

p*

0.0072

0.024

0.0058

0.34

0.43

0.97

0.0096

0.0006

0.012

0.48

 Liver

Yes

(N = 22)

9

(4; 27)

3

(0; 9)

15

(4; 45)

42

(15; 75)

6

(0; 14)

90

(41; 126)

3

(0; 14)

25

(10; 55)

63

(33; 84)

4

(0; 15)

 

No

(N = 25)

6

(1; 10)

3

(0; 9)

10

(2; 21)

84

(20; 123)

3

(0; 12)

103

(42; 156)

2

(0; 6)

9

(3; 19)

81

(58; 89)

2

(0; 15)

 

p*

0.28

0.99

0.27

0.28

0.87

0.47

0.48

0.011

0.067

0.86

 Lung

Yes

(N = 16)

9

(4; 20)

1

(0; 6)

10

(6; 30)

57

(23; 126)

6

(0; 13)

87

(42; 153)

3

(0; 14)

12

(4; 30)

79

(49; 87)

5

(0; 16)

No

(N = 31)

6

(2; 27)

3

(0; 15)

10

(3; 45)

45

(10; 92)

3

(0; 14)

95

(23; 135)

0

(0; 6)

17

(6; 33)

75

(33; 89)

2

(0; 15)

p*

0.69

0.23

0.86

0.26

0.71

0.72

0.16

0.36

0.50

0.74

 CNS

Yes

(N = 3)

24

(8; 47)

6

(0; 21)

45

(8; 53)

45

(30; 75)

43

(14; 90)

126

(97; 180)

6

(0; 12)

25

(6; 55)

31

(25; 60)

34

(14; 50)

No

(N = 44)

6

(2; 20)

3

(0; 9)

10

(3; 32)

53

(15; 100)

3

(0; 12)

85

(37; 143)

2

(0; 10)

16

(5; 32)

79

(40; 89)

2

(0; 15)

p*

0.16

0.56

0.26

1.0000

0.016

0.26

0.75

0.51

0.082

0.020

 Number of sites

1

(N = 16)

5

(2; 9)

1

(0; 10)

7

(2; 17)

55

(13; 93)

1

(0; 9)

82

(41; 122)

2

(0; 9)

9

(3; 21)

82

(47; 91)

1

(0; 14)

≥ 2

(N = 31)

9

(3; 27)

3

(0; 9)

15

(4; 36)

45

(15; 123)

5

(0; 14)

97

(41; 156)

2

(0; 12)

19

(6; 36)

70

(37; 86)

5

(0; 16)

p*

0.22

0.76

0.19

0.84

0.40

0.67

0.78

0.16

0.28

0.61

  1. Results are expressed as median (25th, 75th percentile). Bold cells indicate significant (p <0.05) differences as detected by Wilcoxon rank-sum test (*) or Kruskal-Wallis test (**), as appropriate
  2. E CTC subset of CD45neg expressing epithelial markers only, EM CTC subset of CD45neg coexpressing mesenchymal and epithelial markers, ETOT CTC CD45neg cells expressing epithelial markers independently from the expression of mesenchymal markers, MBC metastatic breast cancer, MES subset of CD45neg expressing mesenchymal markers only, NEG subset of CD45neg negative to the antibody cocktail, CNS central nervous system, HER2 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2
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Breast Cancer Research

ISSN: 1465-542X

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