title: Intracellular esterase activity in living cells may distinguish between metastatic and tumor-free lymph nodes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  One of the major clinical problems in breast cancer detection is the relatively high incidence of occult lymph node metastases undetectable by standard procedures. Since the ascertainment of breast cancer stage determines the following treatment, such a "hypo-diagnosis" leads to inadequate therapy, and hence is detrimental for the outcome and survival of the patients. The purpose of our study was to investigate functional metabolic characteristics of living cells derived from metastatic and tumor-free lymph nodes of breast cancer (BC) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our methodology is based on the ability of living cells to hydrolyze fluorescein diacetate (FDA) by intracellular esterases and on the association of FDA hydrolysis rates with a specific cell status, both in physiological and pathological conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The present study demonstrates a significant difference in the ability to utilize FDA by lymph node cells derived from metastatic and tumor-free lymph nodes in general average, as well as in the metastatic and tumor-free lymph nodes of individual patients. Cells from metastatic lymph nodes had a higher capacity for FDA hydrolysis, and increased this activity after additional activation by autologous tumor tissue (tt). The association between increased FDA hydrolysis rate and activated T lymphocytes and antigen-presenting cells (APC) was shown.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of the present study may contribute to predicting the risk of involvement of seemingly "tumor-free" axillary lymph nodes in occult metastatic processes, and to reducing false-negative results of axillary examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, The Biophysical Interdisciplinary Schottenstein Center for the Research and the Technology of the Cellome, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Afrimzon
authors.forename: Assaf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Deutsch
authors.forename: Yana
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shafran
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zurgil
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sandbank
authors.forename: Itzhak
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pappo
authors.forename: Mordechai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deutsch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000201:enzymology; D001365:Axilla; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D004950:Esterases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005452:Fluoresceins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D005452:Fluoresceins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D004950:Esterases; C018506:diacetylfluorescein