Published in:
Open Access 01-08-2021 | Breast Cancer | Original Article – Cancer Research
Soluble Neuropilin-1 is an independent marker of poor prognosis in early breast cancer
Published in: Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology | Issue 8/2021
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Background
Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) is a transmembrane protein that acts as a multifunctional non-tyrosine kinase receptor with an established role in development and immunity. NRP-1 also regulates tumor biology, and high expression levels of tissue NRP-1 have been associated with a poor prognosis. Recently, ELISA-based quantification of soluble NRP-1 (sNRP-1) has become available, but little is known about the prognostic value of sNRP-1 in malignancies.
Materials and methods
We measured sNRP-1 in the serum of 509 patients with primary early breast cancer (BC) at the time of diagnosis using ELISA.
Results
Mean serum values of sNRP-1 were 1.88 ± 0.52 nmol/l (= 130.83 ± 36.24 ng/ml). SNRP-1 levels weakly correlated with age, and were higher in peri- and postmenopausal patients compared to premenopausal patients, respectively (p < 0.0001). Low levels of sNRP-1 were associated with a significant survival benefit compared to high sNRP-1 levels at baseline (p = 0.005; HR 1.94; 95%CI 1.23–3.06). These findings remained significant after adjustment for tumor stage including lymph node involvement, grading, hormone receptor, HER2 status, and age (p = 0.022; HR 1.78; 95%CI 1.09–2.91).
Conclusion
Our findings warrant further investigations into the prognostic and therapeutic potential of sNRP-1 in BC.