Table 2. Univariate and multivariate analysis of correlation between baseline stromal proteins expression and progression-free survival and overall survival.

Stromal proteins	Na	PFS				OS
		Crude HR (95% CI)	pc	Adjusted HR (95% CI)b	pc	Crude HR (95% CI)	pc	Adjusted HR (95% CI)b	pc
THBS1
Low	39	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	27	1.45 (0.79–2.65)	NS	0.95 (0.46–2.02)	NS	2.27 (1.12–4.60)	0.023	2.06 (0.71–5.99)	NS
Unknown	29	1.17(0.63–2.16)	NS	1.12 (0.47–2.66)	NS	1.50 (0.71–3.16)	NS	2.92 (1.12–7.67)	NS
TNC
Low	43	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	36	1.47 (0.85–2.56)	NS	1.12 (0.55–2.27)	NS	1.72 (0.92–3.20)	NS	1.38 (0.60–3.17)	NS
Unknown	16	1.03 (0.60–2.14)	NS	1.41 (0.52–3.85)	NS	0.93 (0.37–2.34)	NS	0.63 (0.18–2.21)	NS
FN
Low	30	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	50	0.99 (0.56–1.74)	NS	1.10 (0.48–2.49)	NS	1.02 (0.53–1.97)	NS	1.87 (0.65–5.39)	NS
Unknown	15	1.03 (0.48–2.20)	NS	1.05 (0.35–3.20)	NS	1.25 (0.53–2.99)	NS	0.98 (0.25–3.81)	NS
SPARC
Low	18	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	11	1.65 (0.66–4.12)	NS	1.56 (0.55–4.43)	NS	3.52 (1.20–10.33)	0.022	3.78 (1.03–13.92)	0.045
Unknown	66	1.13 (0.58–2.20)	NS	1.05 (0.44–2.50)	NS	1.75 (0.73–4.21)	NS	1.22 (0.39–3.87)	NS
α-SMA
Low	56	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	15	1.49 (0.78–2.89)	NS	0.67 (0.28–1.58)	NS	1.83 (0.88–3.81)	NS	2.17 (0.86–5.50)	NS
Unknown	24	0.84 (0.45–1.59)	NS	1.05 (0.48–2.27)	NS	0.93 (0.45–1.94)	NS	1.97 (0.80–4.83)	NS
Baseline combined stromal protein expression scoref
Low	39	1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)		1.00 (Ref.)
High	39	1.79 (1.02–3.14)	0.044	2.22 (1.06–4.64)	0.034	3.17 (1.56–6.44)	0.001	5.94 (2.25–15.71)	< 0.001

^a5 baseline core biopsies without tumor presence were excluded;

^badjusted for age, tumor grade, metastasis, tumor size, lymph node involvement, ER status, PR status and Her2 status;

^cCox regression models analysis;

Ref: reference; NS: not significant.