Heat shock protein 27 overexpression in breast cancer lymph node metastasis.
BACKGROUND
Heat shock protein 27 (hsp-27) is overexpressed in approximately 67% pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), in approximately 50% DCIS associated with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), and in approximately 25% IDC alone. If this decrease in hsp-27 expression has a role in the progression of malignancy in IDC, we postulate a further reduction in expression in nodal metastasis.


METHODS
To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the distribution of hsp-27 in primary IDC and in synchronous regional lymph node metastasis within the same patient by immuno-histochemistry.


RESULTS
Nine of 30 primary IDCs (30%) and 22 of 30 lymph node metastases (73%) overexpressed hsp-27. Contrary to our hypothesis, of 21 IDCs with no or low hsp-27 expression, 13 (62%) had overexpression of this protein within nodal metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
hsp-27 appears to confer cytoprotection for metastatic cells, which may help explain why hsp-27 overexpression is associated with reduced disease-free survival in breast carcinomas.
Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, USA.
F K
FK
Storm
D M
DM
Mahvi
K W
KW
Gilchrist
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis
D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins