Expression Of Vimentin As A Marker Of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition In Invasive Breast Carcinoma

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer stands as the leading and most fatal form of cancer among women worldwide, with invasion and metastasis being the primary culprits behind the majority of fatalities. Many studies have been done to understand cancer progression and metastasis in breast cancers. EMT is one such process that is known to be reactivated in tumor progression. Numerous biomarkers have been used in studies to demonstrate EMT. One such marker is Vimentin, which is a cytoskeletal protein and has been conventionally used as a mesenchymal marker. Its aberrant expression is seen in multiple carcinomas and recent studies have shown that it plays a significant role in the process of EMT in breast cancers. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to analyze Vimentin expression as a marker of EMT in invasive breast carcinomas and investigate any possible association between Vimentin expression and clinicopathological parameters including histological grading and immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR, Her2 and Ki67