Nucleolar organizer regions in myofibroblasts in breast cancer. Relation to cancer cell morphometry, flow cytometry, sex steroid receptor content, tumour histology and prognosis.
The number of silver-stained nucleolar organizer regions (Ag-NORs) was counted in stromal myofibroblasts in 125 cases of breast cancer. The mean (S.E.) of Ag-NORs in stromal myofibroblasts was 4.4 (0.1). The number of Ag-NORs in myofibroblasts was related to histological grade (p = 0.028), histological type (p = 0.013), tumour necrosis (p = 0.026), mitotic frequency (p = 0.091) and S-phase fraction (p = 0.032). The number of Ag-NORs in stromal myofibroblasts predicted survival with a borderline significance (x2 = 3.4, p = 0.052) and also in axillary lymph node negative tumours (X2 = 2.8, p = 0.095). The recurrence-free survival in the entire cohort (X2 = 7.1, p = 0.0075) and in axillary lymph node negative tumours (X2 = 7.1, p = 0.0078) could be predicted on the basis of the number of Ag-NORs in stromal myofibroblasts. In axillary lymph node positive tumours the number of Ag-NORs in stromal myofibroblasts had no prognostic value. In multivariate analysis the number of Ag-NORs in stromal myofibroblasts had no independent prognostic value. The results suggest a close interaction between stromal myofibroblasts and epithelial cancer cells in breast cancer, and stromal changes are clearly a subject for further analyses.
Lipponen
P
P
Department of Pathology, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Aaltomaa
S
S
Papinaho
S
S
Syrjänen
K
K
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002455:Cell Division; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009336:Necrosis; D009697:Nucleolus Organizer Region / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*; D015996:Survival Rate
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone