Hypoxia inducible factor 1α gene (HIF-1α) splice variants: potential prognostic biomarkers in breast cancer

Table 3 Relationship between the hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) splice variant's expression levels (normalised copy numbers) and clinicopathological factors or microvessel density in tumour tissue specimens from 53 breast cancer patients

Variable	N	Total *HIF-1α*, mean (SD)	Pvalue	*HIF-1α* ^TAG, mean (SD)	Pvalue	*HIF-1α* ⁷³⁶, mean (SD)	Pvalue
Lymph node status:
Negative	25	10.0 (9.0)	NS	10.9 (10.9)	0.037	0.19 (0.29)	NS
Positive	22	12.8 (7.8)		21.1 (19.2)		0.26 (0.28)
Pathological tumour size:
< 20 mm	28	10.2 (8.3)	NS	12.4 (13.2)	NS	0.17 (0.26)	NS
≥ 20 mm	25	11.8 (8.3)		17.9 (17.4)		0.25 (0.28)
Tumour grade:
1/2 vs	35	9.2 (7.7)	0.048	11.8 (12.3)	0.048	0.19 (0.30)	NS
3	17	14.6 (8.7)		21.5 (19.4)		0.23 (0.20)
Peritumoural vascular invasion:
Absent	12	8 (9)	0.028	9.6 (10.1)	NS	0.19 (0.36)	NS
Present	40	11.9 (8.1)		16.6 (16.6)		0.20 (0.24)
OR status:
Negative	16	14.2 (7.3)	0.024	20.8 (11.9)	0.005	0.25 (0.19)	0.06
Positive	32	10 (8.8)		12.7 (17.1)		0.20 (0.31)
PgR status:
Negative	24	11.8 (7.3)	NS	20.08 (17.8)	0.033	0.23 (0.19)	0.077
Positive	26	10.8 (9.4)		11.3 (12.3)		0.2 (0.34)
Tumour microvessel density (low vs high)			NS		NS		NS

Because of missing data, the numbers do not always add up to 53. Expression levels of HIF-1α ⁵¹⁶and HIF-1α ⁵⁵⁷mRNA were not included in statistical analyses because of their very low levels (mean normalised copy numbers < 0.1).
NS = non-significant; OR = oestrogen receptor; PgR = progesterone receptor.

ISSN: 1741-7015