Gelsolin Is Associated with Longer Metastasis-free Survival and Reduced Cell Migration in Estrogen Receptor-positive Breast Cancer

Tumor cell migration is a prerequisite for metastasis formation. The role of the actin-modulating protein, gelsolin, in metastasis is controversial, as previous studies have reported associations with both worse and better prognosis. We analysed the association of gelsolin mRNA levels with metastasis-free survival in three cohorts (n=766) of patients with node-negative breast cancer. To determine its effect on migration, gelsolin expression was down-regulated as well as overexpressed in breast cancer cell lines. Higher gelsolin expression correlated with lower tumor stage and grade, and slower cell proliferation, and was associated with longer metastasis-free survival (hazard ratio (HR)=0.60, p