Microvessel density, expression of estrogen receptor alpha, MIB-1, p53, and c-erbB-2 in inflammatory breast cancer.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose is to define intratumoral microvessel density (MVD) and potential biological markers that correlate with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), we examined MVD, estrogen receptor a (ER) status, MIB-1 proliferation index, p53, and c-erbB-2 by immunohistochemistry in archival specimens from 67 women diagnosed with breast cancer with or without the inflammatory phenotype at the Institut Salah Azaiz (Tunis, Tunisia).


RESULTS
The moderate (25-50/x400 field) to high microvessel count (>50/x400 field) was observed in 23 (51%) of 45 IBC tumors compared with 3 (14%) of 22 non-IBC tumors (P = 0.0031; chi(2) test). The presence of ER was found in 6 (14%) of 44 cases versus 7 (32%) of 22 cases in IBC and non-IBC, respectively (P = 0.10). In this series of 67 patient tumors, the median MVD count in ER-negative breast tumors was 21, whereas the median count was 4 in ER-positive breast tumors (P = 0.08; Wilcoxon rank-sum test). However, MIB-1, p53, and c-erbB-2 were not significantly different between IBC and non-IBC tumors. The intratumoral MVD between IBC and non-IBC was still statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons (P = 0.02; Bonferroni test).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that there is an increased MVD in breast cancer with the inflammatory phenotype as compared with breast cancer without the inflammatory phenotype.
McCarthy
Nicole J
NJ
Cancer Therapeutics Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20889, USA.
Yang
Xiaowei
X
Linnoila
Ilona R
IR
Merino
Maria J
MJ
Hewitt
Stephen M
SM
Parr
Allyson L
AL
Paik
Soonmyung
S
Steinberg
Seth M
SM
Hartmann
Dan P
DP
Mourali
Nejib
N
Levine
Paul H
PH
Swain
Sandra M
SM
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D047628:Estrogen Receptor alpha; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53