Nectin-4 is a new histological and serological tumor associated marker for breast cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is a complex and heterogeneous disease at the molecular level. Evolution is difficult to predict according to classical histoclinical prognostic factors. Different studies highlight the importance of large-scale molecular expression analyses to improve taxonomy of breast cancer and prognostic classification. Identification of new molecular markers that refine this taxonomy and improve patient management is a priority in the field of breast cancer research.Nectins are cell adhesion molecules involved in the regulation of epithelial physiology. We present here Nectin-4/PVRL4 as a new histological and serological tumor associated marker for breast carcinoma. METHODS: Expression of Nectin-4 protein was measured on a panel of 78 primary cells and cell lines from different origins and 57 breast tumors by FACS analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC), respectively. mRNA expression was measured by quantitative PCR. Serum Nectin-4 was detected by ELISA and compared with CEA and CA15.3 markers, on panels of 45 sera from healthy donors, 53 sera from patients with non-metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC) at diagnosis, and 182 sera from patients with MBC. Distribution of histological/serological molecular markers and histoclinical parameters were compared using the standard Chi-2 test. RESULTS: Nectin-4 was not detected in normal breast epithelium. By contrast, Nectin-4 was expressed in 61% of ductal breast carcinoma vs 6% in lobular type. Expression of Nectin-4 strongly correlated with the basal-like markers EGFR, P53, and P-cadherin, and negatively correlated with the luminal-like markers ER, PR and GATA3. All but one ER/PR-negative tumors expressed Nectin-4. The detection of Nectin-4 in serum improves the follow-up of patients with MBC: the association CEA/CA15.3/Nectin-4 allowed to monitor 74% of these patients compared to 67% with the association CEA/CA15.3. Serum Nectin-4 is a marker of disease progression, and levels correlate with the number of metastases (P = 0.038). Serum Nectin-4 is also a marker of therapeutic efficiency and correlates, in 90% of cases, with clinical evolution. CONCLUSION: Nectin-4 is a new tumor-associated antigen for breast carcinoma. Nectin-4 is a new bio-marker whose use could help refine breast cancer taxonomy and improve patients' follow-up. Nectin-4 emerges as a potential target for breast cancer immunotherapy.

Nectin-4, a new serological breast cancer marker, is a substrate for tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE)/ADAM-17.

Serum markers are extensively used in diagnostic and follow-up of cancer patients. We recently described Nectin-4, a 66-kDa adhesion molecule of the Nectin family, which is a valuable new histological and serological marker for breast carcinoma. In vivo, Nectin-4 is re-expressed in breast carcinoma, and a circulating form of Nectin-4 is detected in the sera of patients with metastatic breast cancer. In vitro, a soluble form of Nectin-4 is produced in the supernatant of breast tumor cell lines (S. Fabre-Lafay, C. Ginestier, S. Garrido-Urbani, C. Berruyer, R. Sauvan, N. Reymond, J. Adelaide, J. Geneix, P. Dubreuil, J. Jacquemier, D. Birnbaum, and M. Lopez, manuscript in preparation). We have investigated the mechanisms that regulate the production of this soluble form. It was found that the soluble form of Nectin-4 detected in the sera of patients and the supernatant of breast tumor cell lines share similar biochemical and immunological features. The soluble Nectin-4 form (43 kDa) is formed by the entire Nectin-4 ectodomain. Nectin-4 shedding is constitutive, strongly enhanced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate activation, and reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha protease inhibitor TAPI-1 or by the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3). TAPI-1 and TIMP-3 are inhibitors of the endoprotease tumor necrosis factor-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE)/ADAM-17. Overexpression or small interfering RNA-mediated silencing of TACE enhanced or reduced Nectin-4 shedding, respectively. Nectin-4 is not shed when expressed in TACE-deficient fibroblasts. Interestingly, the active form of TACE is overexpressed in breast tumors and may indicate that TACE is responsible for Nectin-4 shedding not only in vitro but also in vivo.