Objective: To investigate the expression of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in breast carcinoma tissues and its association with microvessel density (MVD), and explore the relationship between FAK-mediated cell signaling and angiogenesis in breast carcinoma.
Methods: FAK and CD34 expressions were examined by immunohistochemistry with SP method in 88 breast carcinoma tissues and 30 tissues of benign breast disease. The correlations of FAK protein expression with MVD marked with CD34 and clinicopathological parameters were analyzed in breast carcinoma.
Results: In the 88 breast carcinomas, the positivity rate of FAK was 68.2% (60/88) with MVD of (34.52-/+13.11) /HPE, showing significant differences from those of the benign disease group (P<0.01). FAK expression and MVD in breast carcinoma tissues were positively related to tumor size, axillary lymph node metastasis and clinical stage (P<0.05), but not to the patients' age or histopathological grade of the tumors (P>0.05). In breast carcinoma, the expression of FAK was positively related to MVD (P<0.01).
Conclusions: FAK protein expression and MVD are closely correlated with the invasion and metastasis of breast carcinoma. FAK expression can promote angiogenesis of breast carcinoma.