Table 1.

Correlation using the Spearman’s rank correlation test between 11 genes of the PKC family and MT1-MMP mRNA expression in human breast cancer

Gene (protein)	Spearman correlation coefficient	P*
PRKCA (PKCα)	0.233	0.0000021
PRKCE (PKCε)	0.045	0.34 (NS)
PRKCH (PKCη)	0.157	0.0009
PKN2 (PKN2)	0.061	0.19 (NS)
PRKCZ (PKCζ)	0.10	0.82 (NS)
PRKCD (PKCδ)	0.016	0.74 (NS)
PRKCQ (PKCθ)	−0.054	0.24 (NS)
PRKCI (PKCι)	0.556	< 0.0000001
PRKCB (PKCβ)	0.389	< 0.0000001
PKN1 (PKN1)	0.199	0.000038

Expression of genes encoding PKCs and MT1-MMP was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) of 458 mRNA tumor samples. Very low levels of mRNA encoding PKCγ were detectable but not reliably quantifiable by RT-qPCR assays using the fluorescence SYBR green methodology (cycle threshold > 35). NS, not significant.

^*P value of Spearman rank correlation test. In bold type, significant P values.