Lipase member H is a novel secreted protein associated with a poor prognosis for breast cancer patients.

The objective of this study is to identify the expression status and clinical implications of lipase member H (LIPH) in breast cancer in order to develop strategies for breast cancer management. LIPH expression status was detected in 346 breast cancer specimens by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between LIPH expression, clinico-pathological parameters, and prognosis of breast cancer was determined. LIPH expression was higher in breast cancer specimens than in paracarcinoma tissues (P=0.01). In total, 64.74% (224/346) of breast cancer samples had high expression of the LIPH protein. LIPH was related to tumor size, histological grade, lymph node metastasis, and distant metastasis (P=0.073, 0.001, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, individuals with high LIPH expression had a significantly higher rate of distant metastasis and poorer disease-specific survival than those with no or low LIPH expression (P=0.01). A Cox regression test indicated that the LIPH protein was an independent prognostic factor (P=0.001). LIPH was differentially expressed in breast cancer individuals and is an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer as well as a potential target for its management.