Fig. 1

Low gastrin/CCKBR/ERK/P65 level was associated with poor prognosis of ER⁺ BC subtype. a Serum levels of gastrin in total, ER⁺ and ER⁻ BC patients and controls (total patients, N = 93; ER⁺, N = 73; ER⁻, N = 20; controls, N = 20, *P < 0.05). b Expression of CCKBR in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype. A representative IHC of CCKBR in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (left). Percentage of cases expressing CCKBR in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (right). c CCKBR was increased in MCF-7 cells treated with gastrin as well as p-ERK and p-P65. d Expression of p-ERK and p-P65 in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype. (a) A representative IHC of p-ERK in 50 paired primary and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (left). Percentage of cases expressing p-ERK in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (right). (b) A representative of IHC of p-P65 in 50 paired primary and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (left). Percentage of cases expressing p-P65 in 50 paired primary BC and para-BC tissue samples of ER⁺ subtype (right). e Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for the relationship between survival time and different signatures (GAST, CCKBR, ERK, P65) in breast cancer was performed by using the online tool (http://kmplot.com/analysis/)