Thymidine phosphorylase expression correlates with tumor differentiation and Bcl-2 in invasive breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
Angiogenesis plays an important role in the growth and metastasis of solid tumors. Several angiogenic factors have been identified, and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is thought to be one such factor. To date, little information is available on the relationship between TP and other clinicopathological variables.


METHODS
Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded materials from 116 primary breast carcinomas were used. The expression of TP, estrogen receptor, Bcl-2, Bax, p53, c-erbB-2 and MIB-1 was examined by immunohistochemical methods.


RESULTS
Nuclear and/or cytoplasmic TP expression was observed in the neoplastic cells, and accentuation of TP was often present at the infiltrating tumor edge and intraductal spread region. Tumor cell TP expression was significantly inversely correlated with histological grade (p< 0.05) and positively correlated with Bcl-2 expression, but no association with other tumor variables was found.


CONCLUSIONS
TP is associated with Bcl-2 expression and tumor differentiation in breast cancer. TP may be a new prognostic parameter for breast cancer.
Yang
Q
Q
Second Department of Pathology, Wakayama Medical College, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
Sakurai
T
T
Shan
L
L
Yoshimura
G
G
Yu
Z
Z
Suzuma
T
T
Tamaki
T
T
Umemura
T
T
Nakamura
Y
Y
Nakamura
M
M
Utsunomiya
H
H
Mori
I
I
Kakudo
K
K
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008408:Mastectomy; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase