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     .