Prognostic Significance of Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM) in Association with Promoter Methylation of the ALCAM Gene in Breast Cancer.

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) has been implicated in tumorigenesis. In this study, we studied DNA methylation status of the gene using pyrosequencing in breast cancer tissues. We analyzed the association between the methylation status of the gene and its expression. Also, the effects of inflammation on the gene methylation and its expression were investigated. The gene methylation was associated with the transcripts in tumor tissues. The methylation status of the gene was not significantly different between tumor and normal tissues. The level of transcripts was associated with the expression of TNFα, NF-κB p50, IL-4, and intratumoral inflammation. The IHC expression of ALCAM was associated with histologic grade, HER2 overexpression and molecular subtype. The expression of TNFα, NF-κB p50, and IL-4 showed significant association with the clinicopathologic characteristics. In conclusion, the gene methylation was related to the level of transcripts. Also, the level of transcripts was associated with the inflammatory markers in breast cancer. Our results suggest that the methylation of the gene contributes to the decreased expression of ALCAM. Also, ALCAM is linked to the inflammatory response in breast cancer.