CD1a down-regulation in primary invasive ductal breast carcinoma may predict regional lymph node invasion and patient outcome.
OBJECTIVE
CD1a is a molecule belonging to the highly conserved group of CD1 proteins. Its expression in dendritic cells is related to the presentation of tumour-derived glycolipid antigens to T cells and, consequently, the development of a successful antitumour response. The aim was to investigate the presence of CD1a+ cells in both primary tumours and lymph nodes (LN) of a series of 35 invasive ductal carcinomas by both immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.


RESULTS
CD1a antigen was more expressed in N0 than N1 breast cancer (P < 0.0001) in both primary lesions and LN metastases and correlated positively and significantly with oestrogen (ER) (P = 0.0025) and progesterone (P = 0.0226) receptor (PR) status, as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T-lymphocyte infiltration.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report to show a link between CD1a+ mononuclear cells in breast cancer and in paired LN metastases. The positive and significant correlations between the number of CD1a+ cells and positivity of the primary tumour for ER and PR suggest a possible role for CD1a as a prognostic marker for breast cancer, raising the possibility that hormone receptor-positive breast cancer patients may have a better prognosis in the presence of greater dendritic cell infiltration.
La Rocca
G
G
Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sezione Anatomia Umana, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy. giampylr@hotmail.com
Anzalone
R
R
Corrao
S
S
Magno
F
F
Rappa
F
F
Marasà
S
S
Czarnecka
A M
AM
Marasà
L
L
Sergi
C
C
Zummo
G
G
Cappello
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018949:Antigens, CD1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003713:Dendritic Cells; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism
D018949:Antigens, CD1; C419393:CD1a antigen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone