TrkC expression predicts good clinical outcome in the invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast independent of NT-3 expression

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Little is known on the action of TrkC for the clinical prognosis and progression of breast cancer according to the availability of its ligand NT-3. We sought to investigate the prognostic relevance of NT-3-TrkC axis in breast cancer and estimate its role during the process of breast cancer progression. TrkC and NT-3 expression were evaluated in 236 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 60 pure ductal carcinoma in situ and 30 normal breast tissues by immunohistochemistry. Spearman’s rank correlation test, Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used for statistical analysis. TrkC expression was negatively associated with lymph node metastasis and tumor proliferation (p < 0.05). Patients with lower TrkC expressing tumors had a higher risk of recurrence (odds ratio, 0.401; 95% confidence interval, 0.207-0.778; p = 0.007). The layered analysis indicated that patients with high TrkC expression tumors had a favorable disease free survival whether NT-3 and TrkC were co-expressed or solitarily expressed in the tumor (p = 0.000). NT-3 expression was inversely correlated with the progression of breast cancer (r = — 0.341, p = 0.000). TrkC expression reduces tumor relapse independent of NT-3 availability in IDC. Elevated NT-3 expression contributes to the progression of breast cancer. Little is known on the action of TrkC for the clinical prognosis and progression of breast cancer according to the availability of its ligand NT-3. We sought to investigate the prognostic relevance of NT-3-TrkC axis in breast cancer and estimate its role during the process of breast cancer progression. TrkC and NT-3 expression were evaluated in 236 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), 60 pure ductal carcinoma in situ and 30 normal breast tissues by immunohistochemistry. Spearman’s rank correlation test, Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards model were used for statistical analysis. TrkC expression was negatively associated with lymph node metastasis and tumor proliferation (p < 0.05). Patients with lower TrkC expressing tumors had a higher risk of recurrence (odds ratio, 0.401; 95% confidence interval, 0.207-0.778; p = 0.007). The layered analysis indicated that patients with high TrkC expression tumors had a favorable disease free survival whether NT-3 and TrkC were co-expressed or solitarily expressed in the tumor (p = 0.000). NT-3 expression was inversely correlated with the progression of breast cancer (r = — 0.341, p = 0.000). TrkC expression reduces tumor relapse independent of NT-3 availability in IDC. Elevated NT-3 expression contributes to the progression of breast cancer.