Table 1. Association between NGAL-expression and clinicopathologic variables.
| Variable | NGAL expression (%) | p-value | NGAL staining intensity (%) | p-value | ||||
| positive | negative | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||
| Hormone receptor status (n = 639) | ||||||||
| positive (n = 487) | 71.9 | 79.3 | 0.038 | 79.2 | 76.1 | 73.3 | 53.5 | 0.002 |
| negative (n = 152) | 28.1 | 20.7 | 20.8 | 23.9 | 26.7 | 46.5 | ||
| Estrogen receptor status (n = 640) | ||||||||
| positive (n = 487) | 71.6 | 79.3 | 0.031 | 79.2 | 75.6 | 73.3 | 53.5 | 0.002 |
| negative (n = 153) | 28.4 | 20.7 | 20.8 | 24.4 | 26.7 | 46.5 | ||
| Progesterone receptor status (n = 619) | ||||||||
| positive (n = 343) | 50.6 | 58.8 | 0.049 | 58.7 | 57.4 | 46.6 | 30.2 | 0.002 |
| negative (n = 276) | 49.4 | 41.2 | 41.3 | 42.6 | 53.4 | 69.8 | ||
| HER2 status (n = 640) | ||||||||
| positive (n = 135) | 21.1 | 21.1 | 1.0 | 21.1 | 21.0 | 19.0 | 22.7 | 0.973 |
| negative (n = 505) | 78.9 | 78.9 | 78.9 | 79.0 | 81.0 | 77.3 | ||
| Histological grade (n = 650) | ||||||||
| 1/2 (n = 491) | 74.1 | 76.6 | 0.462 | 76.5 | 79.3 | 65.6 | 65.9 | 0.073 |
| 3 (n = 159) | 25.9 | 23.4 | 23.5 | 20.7 | 34.4 | 34.1 | ||
| Tumor type (n = 651) | ||||||||
| ductal and other (n = 605) | 96.0 | 90.7 | 0.009 | 90.7 | 96.4 | 93.4 | 97.7 | 0.054 |
| lobular (n = 46) | 4.0 | 9.3 | 9.3 | 3.6 | 6.6 | 2.3 | ||
| Lymph node status (n = 630) | ||||||||
| positive (n = 346) | 56.3 | 53.9 | 0.572 | 53.9 | 54.3 | 60.7 | 59.1 | 0.729 |
| negative (n = 284) | 43.7 | 46.1 | 46.1 | 45.7 | 39.3 | 40.9 | ||
| Tumor size [mm] (n = 637) | ||||||||
| <40 (n = 261) | 39.3 | 42.2 | 0.515 | 42.3 | 39.8 | 37.7 | 40.9 | 0.889 |
| ≥40 (n = 376) | 60.7 | 57.8 | 57.7 | 60.2 | 62.3 | 59.1 | ||
| Age [years] (n = 642) | ||||||||
| <50 (n = 297) | 44.0 | 48.0 | 0.337 | 47.8 | 41.9 | 49.1 | 45.5 | 0.604 |
| ≥50 (n = 345) | 56.0 | 52.0 | 52.2 | 58.1 | 50.8 | 54.5 | ||
Abbreviations: NGAL, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2.