@Article{Guzelis2025,
journal="Polish Journal of Pathology",
issn="1233-9687",
volume="76",
number="1",
year="2025",
title="Does SOX-2 expression have a prognostic value in triple-negative breast cancer?",
abstract="Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer. At the cell of origin level, cancer stem cells (CSC) are the tumour initiators in breast cancer. SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX-2) is a CSC marker that plays a role in tumourigenesis.  The objective of this study was to evaluate the association of SOX-2 expression with histopathological parameters and clinical outcomes in TNBC patients. The study included 95 TNBC cases. An  in vitro  diagnostic SOX-2 antibody was applied to the tumoural slides in a validated automated stainer.  The expression of SOX-2 was defined as a SOX-2 H-score ≥ 1. The expression of SOX-2 was observed in 29 cases (30.5%). At a median follow-up of 76 months, SOX-2 expression was not associated with overall or disease-free survival. R-based statistical analysis determined a SOX-2 H-score cut-off of 2. Although the overall and disease-free survival rates of cases with an H-score ≥ 3 were lower than the others, the differences were not statistically significant. The percentage of SOX-2 staining is typically low, as only 1% of tumour cells exhibit CSC characteristics.   In conclusion, the prognostic significance of SOX-2 could become clear in a larger group of TNBC patients using standardized methodologies.",
author="Guzelis, Ismail
and Kucukzeybek, Betul Bolat
and Gursoy, Merve
and Yilmaz, Yeliz
and Kucukzeybek, Yuksel",
pages="1--9",
doi="10.5114/pjp.2025.149426",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.5114/pjp.2025.149426"
}