To explore the association between the ultrasound (US) characteristics of breast cancer and hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1 (HPK1) expression in patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma-not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS).

Analysis of ultrasound parameters of preoperative ultrasound retention in 75 patients with IDC-NOS confirmed by surgical pathology. The morphology, margin, posterior echo, microcalcification, internal echo and axillary lymph nodes were observed with conventional US. The expression of HPK1 in IDC-NOS tissue and adjacent tissue was detected by Western blotting, and the relationship between HPK1 expression and these ultrasound parameters was analyzed. The breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 were selected. A lentiviral pCDH-HPK1-puro recombinant vector was constructed. The recombinant lentivirus-infected breast cancer cell line was obtained, and the HPK1 over-expression breast cancer stable cell line (over-expression group) was obtained, and the cell line infected with the empty vector virus and the untreated group was used as a negative control group and a blank group. The expression level of HPK1 in 6 groups of cells was detected by Western blotting and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Cell migration and invasion ability of HPK1 in 6 groups of cell lines were detected by scratch healing test and Transwell test.

Compared with adjacent tissue (0.767±0.141), HPK1 protein was down-regulated in breast cancer tissue (0.349±0.058, P<0.05), and HPK1 expression was negatively correlated with ultrasound signs of axillary lymph node metastasis (r=-0.385). There was no significant correlation between HPK1 and mass morphology, margin, posterior echo, and microscopic calcification or internal echo (P>0.05). Compared with the negative control group and the blank group, the expression level of HPK1 protein and mRNA was up-regulated in the over-expressing group (P<0.01), and the migration and invasion ability of the cells was decreased (P<0.05).

HPK1 is under-expressed in breast cancer tissues and cell lines. Over-expression of HPK1 can inhibit the migration and invasion ability of breast cancer cells.

Invasive ductal breast carcinoma-not otherwise specified; Ultrasound Characteristics; Hematopoietic progenitor kinase 1; Molecular mechanism