Published in:
01-02-2010 | Brief Report
Elevated plasma endoglin (CD105) predicts decreased response and survival in a metastatic breast cancer trial of hormone therapy
Authors:
M. N. Vo, M. Evans, K. Leitzel, S. M. Ali, M. Wilson, L. Demers, D. B. Evans, A. Lipton
Published in:
Breast Cancer Research and Treatment
|
Issue 3/2010
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Abstract
Background Endoglin (CD105) is a co-receptor for TGF-β, is expressed by human vascular endothelial cells, and plays a major role in angiogenesis. Materials and methods Pretreatment EDTA plasma from 224 metastatic breast cancer patients enrolled in a phase III 2nd-line hormone therapy trial and 50 control subjects were assayed for endoglin using an ELISA. Results The female control group (n = 50) plasma endoglin upper limit of normal was defined as the mean + 2 SD (8.7 ng/ml). The breast cancer patient plasma endoglin was 6.40 ± 2.23 ng/ml (range 3.00–19.79 ng/ml). Elevated plasma endoglin levels were detected in 26 of 224 patients (11.6%). Patients with elevated plasma endoglin had a reduced clinical benefit rate (CR + PR + Stable) (15 vs. 42%) (P = 0.01) to hormone therapy. TTP was shorter for patients with elevated plasma endoglin, but did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.2). Patients with elevated plasma endoglin had decreased overall survival (median 645 vs. 947 days) (P = 0.005). Conclusion Elevated pretreatment plasma endoglin levels predicted for decreased clinical benefit and a shorter overall survival in metastatic breast cancer patients treated with 2nd-line hormone therapy.