[The cytosolic hyaluronic acid level defines several clinico-biological properties of CD44v5-positive infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast].
BACKGROUND
The hyaluronic acid (HA) is a ligand of CD44 adhesion molecule. In this work, we study if the cytosolic level of this proteoglycan can modulate certain clinical-biological properties at CD44v5-positive infiltrating ductal carcinomas (IDC) of the breast.


METHODS
We have assayed, by a radioligand method, the cytosolic level of hyaluronic acid in 127 IDC. Likewise, cytosolic levels of estrogen receptors (ER), progesterone receptors (PR), pS2, cathepsin D and tissue.-type plasminogen activators (t-PA) have been dossified, as well as those of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) at cell surfaces. The menopausal status, tumor size, axillary lymph node involvement, histological grade, ploidy and S-phase have also been taken into account.


RESULTS
HA positive (> 4800 ng/mg prt., which represents the median value obtained with 252 tumors) carcinomas had higher levels of PR (p = 0.035) and t-PA (p = 0.000), whereas HA negative showed a higher frequency of a tumor size > 2 cm (p = 0.015), aneuploidy (p = 0.015) and S-phase > 14% (p = 0.019), as well as histological grade 3 which reached statistical significance (p = 0.062), all of which were indicators of a worse behaviour and evolution.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that, as it also happens with that of the cell surface, cytosolic HA levels seems to modulate certain clinical-biological features of CD44v5-positive infiltrating ductal carcinomas of the breast. Likewise, they can help us to explain the discordant results described at the literature concerning its practical value when each of them are considered separately.
Ruibal
A
A
Servicio de Medicina Nuclear, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid.
Arias
J I
JI
Carmen del Río
M
M
San Román
J M
JM
Lapeña
G
G
Schneider
J
J
Tejerina
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000032:analysis; D003600:Cytosol / Q000737:chemistry*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000032:analysis
D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D002403:Cathepsins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator