Mast cells and eosinophils in invasive breast carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Inflammatory cells in the tumour stroma has gained increasing interest recently. Thus, we aimed to study the frequency and prognostic impact of stromal mast cells and tumour infiltrating eosinophils in invasive breast carcinomas.


METHODS
Tissue microarrays containing 234 cases of invasive breast cancer were prepared and analysed for the presence of stromal mast cells and eosinophils. Tumour infiltrating eosinophils were counted on hematoxylin-eosin slides. Immunostaining for tryptase was done and the total number of mast cells were counted and correlated to the proliferation marker Ki 67, positivity for estrogen and progesterone receptors, clinical parameters and clinical outcome.


RESULTS
Stromal mast cells were found to correlate to low grade tumours and estrogen receptor positivity. There was a total lack of eosinophils in breast cancer tumours.


CONCLUSIONS
A high number of mast cells in the tumours correlated to low-grade tumours and estrogen receptor positivity. Eosinophils are not tumour infiltrating in breast cancers.
Amini
Rose-Marie
RM
Department of Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden. Rose-Marie.Amini@genpat.uu.se
Aaltonen
Kirsimari
K
Nevanlinna
Heli
H
Carvalho
Ricardo
R
Salonen
Laura
L
Heikkilä
Päivi
P
Blomqvist
Carl
C
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen