Hexokinase and phosphofructokinase activity and intracellular distribution correlate with aggressiveness and invasiveness of human breast carcinoma

Oncotarget. 2015 Oct 6;6(30):29375-87. doi: 10.18632/oncotarget.4910.

Abstract

Glycolytic enzymes, such as hexokinase and phosphofructokinase, have been reported to be upregulated in many cancer types. Here, we evaluated these two enzymes in 54 breast cancer samples collected from volunteers subjected to mastectomy, and the results were correlated with the prognosis markers commonly used. We found that both enzymes positively correlate with the major markers for invasiveness and aggressiveness. For invasiveness, the enzymes activities increase in parallel to the tumor size. Moreover, we found augmented activities for both enzymes when the samples were extirpated from patients presenting lymph node involvement or occurrence of metastasis. For aggressiveness, we stained the samples for the estrogen and progesterone receptors, HER-2, p53 and Ki-67. The enzyme activities positively correlated with all markers but Ki-67. Finally, we conclude that these enzymes are good markers for breast cancer prognosis.

Keywords: breast cancer; diagnosis; glycolysis; prognosis; treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / analysis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / enzymology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery
  • Carcinoma / enzymology*
  • Carcinoma / pathology
  • Carcinoma / surgery
  • Cell Movement*
  • Female
  • Glycolysis*
  • Hexokinase / analysis*
  • Humans
  • Ki-67 Antigen / analysis
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Mastectomy
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness
  • Phosphofructokinases / analysis*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / analysis
  • Signal Transduction
  • Tumor Burden
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / analysis

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Ki-67 Antigen
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Phosphofructokinases
  • Hexokinase
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2