1. ¹Department of Pathology, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland
2. ²Department of Information Technology, University of Turku, FIN-20014 Turku, Finland
3. ³Department of Surgical Hospital, Turku University Hospital, PL 28, FIN-20701 Turku, Finland

Correspondence: Dr K Talvinen, E-mail: kattal@utu.fi

Revised 7 April 2008; Accepted 21 May 2008; Published online 1 July 2008.

Abstract

We introduce a new proliferation marker, securin (pituitary tumour-transforming 1 (PTTG1)), analysed in invasive ductal breast carcinomas by cDNA microarrays and immunohistochemistry. In cDNA microarray of a total of 4000 probes of genes, securin was revealed with a significant change in expression among the several proliferation-related genes studied. The value of securin as a proliferation marker was verified immunohistochemically (n=44) in invasive ductal breast cancer. In follow-up analyses of the sample of patients, the prognostic value of securin was compared with the established markers of breast cancer proliferation, Ki-67 and mitotic activity index (MAI). Our results of a small sample of patients suggest that low securin expression identifies a distinct subgroup of more favourable outcome among patients with high Ki-67 immunoexpression or high MAI. In univariate analysis of Cox's regression, 10-unit increment of securin immunopositivity was associated with a 2.3-fold overall risk of death due to breast cancer and a 7.1-fold risk of death due to breast cancer in the sample of patients stratified according to the cutoff points of 10 and 20% of securin immunopositivity. We suggest that securin immunostaining is a promising and clinically applicable proliferation marker. The finding urges further prognostic studies with a large sample of patients.