Immunohistochemical evaluation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression in primary breast cancer.
To evaluate the clinical potential of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (e-NOS) in human breast cancer, we performed immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of paraffin-embedded primary breast cancer tissue of 163 patients for e-NOS using a monoclonal antibody. A correlation was found between e-NOS expression and both the classic prognostic factors and survival rates. Under half the patients were premenopausal (38.5%), 61.5% being postmenopausal. The median tumour size was 2 cm; in 41.7% of the patients there was involvement of the axillary lymph nodes. Most (84.1%) of the tumours were hormone receptor positive. e-NOS staining was positive in 62%, most of the positive tumours having weak (32.5%) or medium (21.5%) staining for e-NOS. The median follow-up time was 42 months, during which 46 (28%) patients had a local recurrence or metastatic disease. A positive correlation of e-NOS with the hormone receptor status was found (P=0.031). However, no impact on survival rates was observed.
Loibl
S
S
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Johann-Wolfgang Goethe-University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. loibl@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Strank
C
C
von Minckwitz
G
G
Sinn
H-P
HP
Buck
A
A
Solbach
C
C
Strebhardt
K
K
Kaufmann
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011379:Prognosis; D016019:Survival Analysis
D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase