Dual role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in human breast cancer

BMC Cancer

Table 1 Clinicopathological parameters in relation to MIF protein expression

	MIF protein expression
Variable	n^a	IRS (0–4)	IRS (6–12)	P value^d
Tumour size^b
pT1	48	13	35	0.007
pT2	86	24	62
pT3	12	3	9
pT4	27	16	11
Lymph node status^b
pN0	67	17	50	0.190
pN1-3	100	35	65
Histological grade
G1	19	9	10	0.933
G2	73	18	55
G3	79	29	50
Histological type
invasive ductal	145	51	94	0.496
invasive lobular	13	3	10
other	17	5	12
Estrogen receptor status
negative (IRS^c 0–2)	46	21	25	0.028
positive (IRS 3–12)	96	26	70
Progesterone receptor status
negative (IRS 0–2)	101	39	62	0.006
positive (IRS 3–12)	49	8	41
EGFR status
negative (IRS 0)	65	28	37	0.038
positive (IRS 1–3)	92	25	67

^a Only female patients with primary, unilateral, invasive breast cancer were included. Significant p values are marked in bold face. ^b According to the TNM classification of Sobin and Wittekind [38]. ^c IRS = immunoreactive score according to Remmele and Stegner [35]. ^d Fisher's exact test. Significant p values are marked in bold face.

ISSN: 1471-2407