Levels of OPN, COX-2, and VEGF were all significantly correlated with TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis (P < 0.05), while not related to prognosis of patients.
However metastasis-suppressed MDA-MB-435 cells, which were transfected with breast cancer metastasis suppressor 1 (BRMS1), expressed significantly less OPN.
These results establish a correlation between an increased gradient of osteopontin expression throughout the stages of murine prostate cancer, beginning from the preneoplastic lesions to distant metastases that suggests a proliferative and invasive advantages to those prostate tumor cells overexpressing osteopontin.
Contrasting expression of thrombospondin-1 and osteopontin correlates with absence or presence of metastatic phenotype in an isogenic model of spontaneous human breast cancer metastasis.