Immunohistochemical evaluation of vasopressin expression in breast fibrocystic disease and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).
We previously found that expression of the vasopressin gene is a common feature of human breast cancer. In the present study we first examined 21 different cases of benign fibrocystic breast disease for vasopressin expression using immunohistochemistry and antibodies directed against vasopressin (anti-VP) and against vasopressin-associated glycopeptide (anti-VAG). All cases examined were negative for vasopressin gene expression using these antibodies. Alternatively, we examined 16 cases of breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) using the second of these antibodies (anti-VAG), and all of these cases were positive for vasopressin gene expression. Our results suggest that products of vasopressin gene expression are not markers of cellular proliferation in the breast, and might rather represent an early part of the carcinogenic process in this tissue.
Department of Physiology, Dartmouth Medical School, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. william.north@dartmouth.edu
William G
WG
North
Wendy
W
Wells
Michael J
MJ
Fay
Rennie S
RS
Mathew
Edward M
EM
Donnelly
Vincent A
VA
Memoli
D001706:Biopsy; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
D014667:Vasopressins