Immunocytochemical demonstration of calmodulin and its activated forms in normal and carcinomatous human mammary tissue.
Using an indirect immunoperoxidase technique with a polyclonal antibody (CaMp) for calmodulin (CaM) and monoclonal antibodies against CaM activated form of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase (ACAP-1) and calcium activated CaM (ACC-1), we have investigated the distribution pattern of this calcium-binding protein on frozen and paraffin sections of ductal non-infiltrating (20 cases) and infiltrating carcinomas (39 cases), lobular in situ (3 cases) and infiltrating carcinomas (8 cases); 10 metastatic axillary lymph nodes were also studied, while normal breast tissue surrounding neoplasias was tested as a control. All cases of non-infiltrating as well as infiltrating ductal and lobular carcinomas were reactive with the above-mentioned antisera, although a marked variation both in the proportion of cells stained within a tumour and in the intensity of staining of the cells was noted; the immunoreactivity showed a diffuse cytoplasmic pattern but sometimes nuclear with CaMp and ACC-1, while ACAP-1 exhibited mostly a cytoplasmic perinuclear granular expression; the same immunohistochemical pattern for CaM and CaM activated forms was observed also in metastatic elements present in axillary lymph nodes. Normal breast acini were patchily reactive for ACAP-1, whereas CaMp and ACC-1 stainings were more diffuse.
Tuccari
G
G
Department of Human Pathology, University of Messina, Italy.
Rizzo
A
A
Barresi
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000737:chemistry*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry*; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged
D002147:Calmodulin