Multiplication (staining index) of intensity and percentage scores was utilized to determine the result. A staining index of ≥6 was defined as high expression, while <6 was defined as low expression [7]. On the another hand, HER2/neu was evaluated as positive when over 10% of tumor cells
exhibited stained consecutive membranes. Unified selleck compound standards were employed when evaluating estrogen receptors (ERs) and Progesterone receptors (PRs) that exceeded 10% of tumor cells, as shown in the stained nucleus. Statistical analysis Analyses were performed using the SPSS 17.0 software package (Chicago, IL, USA). The relation between CXCR4, CCR7, EGFR, and clinicopathologic characteristics were tested via Pearson χ2 analysis. The same method
was employed to test associations between these biomarkers and biologic-prognostic Batimastat solubility dmso characteristics, such as ER, PR, and HER-2/neu expression. Correlations between two variables were evaluated by Spearman’s rank correlation test. P-values < 0.05 were deemed statistically significant. Overall survival (OS) was estimated through the Kaplan-Meier method and was compared between groups through the log-rank test. Results see more Characteristics of patients and expression of biomarkers in primary tumors Patient and primary tumor characteristics are presented in Table 1. Samples included 200 patients, among which 100 developed lymph node metastasis while 100 did not. Median age was determined at 51 years (37-74). Thirty-nine patients (19.5%) were diagnosed with stage I cancer, 138 (69%) with stage II, 20 (10%) with stage III, and three (1.5%) with stage IV. Table 1 Correlation between biomarkers and primary tumor characteristics CXCR4 cytoplasmic expression CXCR4 nuclear expression CCR7 expression EGFR expression Low High P Low High P Low Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II High P Low High P (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) (n) age .842 .409 .169 .299 <50 43 51 38 56 37 57 49 45 ≥50 47 59 49 57 52 54 63 43 tumor size .539 .106 .945 .525
D≤2 27 41 36 32 31 37 38 30 2 50 56 39 67 46 60 62 44 D>5 13 13 12 14 12 14 12 14 grade .068 .985 .786 .030* I 6 8 6 8 6 8 9 5 II 59 73 58 74 61 71 81 51 III 25 29 23 31 22 32 22 32 stage .148 .052 .086 .088 I 22 17 23 16 23 16 22 17 II 61 77 58 80 60 78 82 56 III 7 13 6 14 5 15 8 12 IV 0 3 0 3 1 2 0 3 LN <.001** .199 <.001** .046* negative 59 41 48 52 59 41 63 37 positive 31 69 39 61 30 70 49 51 N .437 .534 .341 .770 N≤3 11 30 18 23 10 31 21 20 3 11 16 11 16 11 16 14 13 N>10 9 23 10 22 9 23 14 18 ER .256 .117 .319 .087 negative 49 51 49 51 48 52 50 50 positive 41 59 38 62 41 59 62 38 PR .115 .084 .249 .