[Expression of Tiam1 in breast carcinomas and its clinical significance].

Objective: To investigate the expression of T lymphoma invasion and metastasis inducing factor 1 (Tiam1) in breast carcinomas, and explore its association with the clinicopathological features of breast carcinoma.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect Tiam1 expression in normal breast tissue and 126 breast carcinoma tissues, and the expression levels of Tiam1 mRNA and protein were detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively.

Results: The expression of Tiam1 was significantly higher in breast carcinomas than in normal breast tissue (P<0.05). Tiam1 expression was not correlated to the age of the patients or the histological type (P>0.05), but to lymph node metastasis and clinical stages of the tumor (P<0.01). Tiam1 mRNA and protein expressions were stronger in breast carcinoma cell line MDA-MB-435 with high metastatic potential than in breast carcinoma cell line MCF-7.

Conclusion: Tiam1 is closely related to the metastasis of breast carcinoma, and may play an important role in promoting metastasis of breast carcinoma.