RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIM: Beta2-glycoprotein I (ß2-GPI) is a plasma glycoprotein, which has been implicated in a variety of physiological functions. However, the connection between ß2-GPI and breast cancer is mostly unknown. Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that severely impairs women's health worldwide. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of ß2-GPI in tumor cells of breast cancer patients and its correlation with tumor prognosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 125 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer were enrolled in the study. The expression of ß2-GPI in resected breast tissues was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and correlated with clinicopathological variables by the Chi-squared test. The prognostic value of ß2-GPI for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) was determined by Kaplan-Meier estimates and the significance of differences was evaluated by the log-rank test. RESULTS: ß2-GPI staining was predominantly observed in tumor cells of breast cancer patients and significantly correlated with tumor stage and lymph node metastasis of breast cancer. High ß2-GPI expression was significantly correlated with better OS and DFS. Moreover, DFS was found to be significantly better in patients with higher ß2-GPI expression, especially those in the early tumor stage groups. CONCLUSION: High ß2-GPI expression levels in tumor cells of breast cancer patients were independent factors predicting a better OS and DFS. ß2-GPI activation in high-risk patients may be a potential strategy for reducing breast cancer progression.