Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive type of
breast cancer. The present authors recently demonstrated that expression of the
lipid-related
protein adipophilin (
ADP) in operative specimens is a significant poor prognostic factor in patients with TNBC. Using biopsy specimens is important in making clinical decisions for patients with
breast cancer; however, the prognostic significance of
ADP expression in biopsy specimens from TNBC patients remains unclear. The present study determined the prognostic significance of
ADP expression in biopsy specimens from TNBC patients and compared
ADP-expression status between biopsy and operative specimens. The present study analyzed
ADP-expression profiles in biopsy specimens from 102 patients with TNBC using immunohistochemical staining and determined relapse-free survival and risk factors associated with
ADP expression in these specimens, as well as the concordance of
ADP expression between biopsy and operative specimens. The results identified
ADP expression in 35.3% of biopsy specimens from TNBC patients. The Ki-67 labelling index was significantly higher in
ADP-positive patients (P<0.001). Univariate analysis revealed that
ADP expression in biopsy specimens was significantly associated with poor relapse-free survival in patients not administered
neoadjuvant chemotherapy or
adjuvant chemotherapy (P=0.026). Furthermore, the concordance rate of
ADP expression between biopsy and operative specimens was 73.1%, with a Cohen's kappa coefficient of 0.385 (P=0.003). These findings suggested that
ADP expression in biopsy specimens might be a useful prognostic marker for patients with TNBC and could potentially provide important information regarding treatment strategies for these patients.