Metastasis-free survival curves for luminal phenotype cases as a function of GATA3 expression status.

<p>(A) Kaplan-Meier metastasis-free survival actuarial curves for PNM vs. PM cases. (B) Metastasis-free survival actuarial curves according to GATA3 status. (C) Metastasis-free survival actuarial curves according to molecular phenotype (luminal, HER2(+), TN).</p

Variations in GATA3 and ER expression in node-positive luminal breast tumors and matched lymph node metastases.

<p>A majority of node-positive luminal-phenotype primary breast cancer cases maintains or increases the expression levels of ER and GATA3 in their matched lymph node metastases, independent of histological grade. A 20% decrease in Hscores from PM to its matched LNM was considered a downregulation (DN), a 20% increase an upregulation (UP) and Hscore variations inferior to 20% were considered as not altered (NA).</p

Expression levels of selected genes that discriminate between node-positive and node-negative breast cancer samples.

<p>(A) Hierarchical clustering based on QRT-PCR values for 61 genes in whole tissue samples. All but one PNM tumors were correctly segregated from PM tumors. (B) Hierarchical clustering based on QRT-PCR values for 61 genes in microdissected samples. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) samples were analyzed in addition to the sample categories shown in (A). Both analyses show that, among other genes, GATA3 is intensely expressed both in primary tumors and LNM samples. </p