Occurence of stromal myofibroblasts in the invasive ductal breast cancer tissue is an unfavourable prognostic factor.
BACKGROUND
Numerous experimental studies have described the capacity of myofibroblasts to stimulate mammary cancer cells in a paracrine manner. Until now, the prognostic significance of myofibroblasts present in breast cancer has not been examined.


METHODS
In paraffin sections, originating from 45 patients with primary invasive breast cancer, immunohistochemical reactions were performed using antibodies directed against smooth muscle actin, Ki-67, VEGF, bFGF and UPA.


RESULTS
The cases with higher content of myofibroblasts in the tumour tissue manifested higher grade, more pronounced expression of Ki-67, VEGF and bFGF and shorter overall survival and relapse-free survival.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study for the first time documents the unfavourable prognostic significance of myofibroblasts in tissues of invasive ductal mammary carcinomas.
Surowiak
Pawel
P
Institute of Pathology, Charité Campus Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, D-10117, Germany.
Murawa
Dawid
D
Materna
Verena
V
Maciejczyk
Adam
A
Pudelko
Marek
M
Ciesla
Slawomir
S
Breborowicz
Jan
J
Murawa
Pawel
P
Zabel
Maciej
M
Dietel
Manfred
M
Lage
Hermann
H
D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D032446:Myoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis
D000199:Actins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator