title: Consistent lack of CD34-positive stromal cells in the stroma of malignant breast lesions.
abstract: To examine the distribution of CD34-positive and ASMA-positive stromal cells in various breast lesions, we performed immunohistochemical assays (using a streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique) of tissue specimens, obtained by excisional biopsy and partial or total mastectomy, from 62 patients with breast lesions. Specimens were obtained from 64 lesions as follows: fibrocystic disease (n=12), intraductal papilloma (n=4), fibroadenoma (n=17), invasive lobular carcinoma (n=6), invasive ductal carcinoma (n=20) and invasive micropapillary carcinoma (n=5). In normal breast tissue (controls), CD34-positive spindle cells were abundant in the intralobular stroma, but no ASMA-positive stromal cells were identified except myoepithelial cells. Small to large numbers of CD34-positive cells were observed in the stroma of 29 of 33 benign diseases. In all invasive carcinomas (lobular, ductal and micropapillary), no CD34-positive stromal cells were observed in the stroma. In the stroma of benign lesions, the number of ASMA-positive stromal cells was various, but the stroma of all invasive breast cancers contained ASMA-positive stromal cells. The present results indicate that disappearance of CD34-positive stromal cells consistently occurs in the stroma of invasive carcinoma of the breast, irrespective of histological type and may be associated with the presence of ASMA-positive stromal cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Program of Bioregulation and Genetics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Kohasu, Oko-cho, Nanokku City, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. nkuroda@med.kochi-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Y-L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamauzu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Miyazaki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiroi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moriki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Enzan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis*; D001940:Breast / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34