NHERF1 expression levels in blood and tissue predict breast tumor clinical behaviour

International audience; Aims: Several studies have demonstrated that NHERF1 protein, over-expressed and heterogeneously distributed in different stages of breast cancer, could be used as a tumor marker for prognosis in molecular detection strategies. We observed tumor infiltrated lymphocytes in the tumour tissue displaying a high NHERF1 staining in contrast with those present in the contiguous non involved tissue. Hypothesizing that cancer cells elicit a specific T cell response associated with the characteristics of the solid tumor, we evaluated NHERF1 in peripheral lymphocytes from healthy donors and breast cancer patients. Method and results: NHERF1 levels were analyzed in 55 breast cancer patients and 40 healthy and compared with clinical pathological features. The level of NHERF1 was over-expressed in circulatory peripheral lymphocytes from patients compared to those from healthy subjects. Indeed in both circulatory lymphocytes and tissues, NHERF1 was positively associated with grade, Nottingham Prognostic Index and estrogen receptor of the tumors, while there was no association with other clinical parameters in either tissue. Conclusions: We propose that NHERF1 measurements in circulatory lymphocytes of breast cancer patients may be a valid method to predict breast cancer occurrence and prognosis and have value in the management of cancer patients.