Expression of syndecan-1 in paired samples of normal and malignant breast tissue from postmenopausal women.
BACKGROUND
The mammary stroma is important for modulating epithelial breast cell response to sex steroid hormones. Proteoglycans, such as syndecan-1, promote the integration of cellular signals.


METHODS
The immunohistochemical expression of syndecan-1 and of the androgen receptor (AR) was analyzed in paired samples of cancer and adjacent normal tissue from postmenopausal women.


RESULTS
Normal and cancer tissue showed dramatic differences in the expression of syndecan-1. In malignant breast stroma, mean values were more than 10-fold higher than in normal tissue (p<0.001). There was also a marked redistribution from the epithelium to the stroma. The expression of AR was on average 2-fold higher in cancerous than in normal tissue (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer patients have very different prognoses. Syndecan-1 and the AR may be new molecular markers relevant to clinical outcome. The redistribution from the epithelium and the dramatic increase of syndecan-1 in cancerous stroma may be related to the natural history of the disease.
Lofgren
L
L
Department of Surgery, St Görans Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. lars.lofgren@capio.se
Sahlin
L
L
Jiang
S
S
Von Schoultz
B
B
Fernstad
R
R
Skoog
L
L
Von Schoultz
E
E
D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000378:metabolism*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; C508241:SDC1 protein, human; D053668:Syndecan-1