Affiliations: Laboratory of Genetics, Immunology and Human
Pathology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of Tunis, Tunis,
Tunisia | Department of Histopathology, The Oncology Institute
of Saleh Azaïez, Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia | The Institute of Genetics and Development of Rennes,
UMR 6061, Rennes Cedex, France
Note: [] Corresponding author: Imen Ferchichi, Laboratory of Genetics,
Immunology and Human Pathology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences of
Tunis, Tunis 1060, Tunisia. Tel.: +216 27 50 54 51; Fax: +216 71 231 401;
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Aurora A kinase is overexpressed in many cancers but the status of
this protein in the breast cancer often varies. We investigate the expression
and localization of Aurora A protein in relation with tumor emergence and
progression in breast cancer. Aurora A kinase status was evaluated in 107
patients using immunohistochemistry. The experimental findings showed that high
expression of the Aurora A protein was correlated with elevated nuclear grade,
low expression of progesterone receptor and positive nodal status. The
experimental results showed also that the localization of this kinase shifts
from cytoplasm in non malignant adjacent tissue to both cytoplasmic and nuclear
compartments in tumoral tissue, suggesting an oncogenic role of the nuclear
accumulation. We have, furthermore, detected the overexpression of this protein
in non malignant adjacent tissue. The expression of the Aurora A kinase in non
malignant tissue may represent an earlier diagnosis tool for breast cancer.
Keywords: Aurora A, breast cancer, immunohistochemistry
