I-CHUN CHENChang Y.-C.YEN-SHEN LUKUEI-PIN CHUNGCHIUN-SHENG HUANGTZU-PIN LUWEN-HUNG KUOWang M.-Y.KUAN-TING KUOWu P.-F.Hsueh T.-H.Shen C.-Y.CHING-HUNG LINANN-LII CHENG2020-03-072020-03-0720162045-2322https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84958787432&doi=10.1038%2fsrep21374&partnerID=40&md5=8f404e2e2c29f3a1f276726f20bef940https://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/473545Liver kinase B1 (LKB1) is a tumor suppressor, and its loss might lead to activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and tumorigenesis. This study aimed to determine the clinical relevance of LKB1 gene and protein expression in breast cancer patients. LKB1 protein expression was evaluated using immunohistochemistry in tumors from early breast cancer patients in two Taiwanese medical centers. Data on LKB1 gene expression were obtained from the Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium (METABRIC) data set. The correlations between LKB1 expression, clinicopathologic factors, and patient outcome were analyzed. LKB1 expression was significantly associated with estrogen receptor (ER) expression in 2 of the 4 cohorts, but not with other clinicopathologic factors. LKB1 expression was not a predictor for relapse-free survival, overall survival (OS), or breast cancer-specific survival. In a subgroup analysis of the two Taiwanese cohorts, high LKB1 protein expression was predictive of high OS in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer patients (P = 0.013). Our study results indicate that LKB1 expression is not prognostic in the whole population of breast cancer patients, but it is a potential predictor of OS in the subset of HER2-positive patients.[SDGs]SDG3epidermal growth factor receptor 2; ERBB2 protein, human; protein serine threonine kinase; STK11 protein, human; adult; aged; biosynthesis; breast tumor; cancer staging; disease free survival; female; gene expression regulation; genetics; human; middle aged; pathology; prognosis; tumor recurrence; Adult; Aged; Breast Neoplasms; Disease-Free Survival; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; Neoplasm Staging; Prognosis; Protein-Serine-Threonine Kinases; Receptor, ErbB-2journal article10.1038/srep21374268771552-s2.0-84958787432