title: Stromal matrix protein expression following preoperative systemic therapy in breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Stromal alterations are observed following preoperative systemic therapy in breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to analyze the qualitative and quantitative changes of representative tumor stroma proteins in the context of neoadjuvant therapy and the response of patients undergoing preoperative systemic therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty women receiving preoperative systemic therapy were evaluated for clinical and pathologic parameters. Clinical response was defined according to International Union against Cancer (UICC) criteria, whereas pathologic responses to preoperative systemic therapy were defined according to the Chevallier and Sataloff classifications. The expression of tenascin-C, syndecan-1, collagen IV, and smooth muscle actin proteins was investigated using morphometric analysis of immunohistochemical reactions. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR was done to evaluate the mRNA expression level of syndecan-1 and tenascin-C. The data were compared with 20 breast cancer samples of patients not treated with preoperative systemic therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to UICC criteria, the expression levels of collagen IV were up-regulated in all preoperative systemic therapy-treated patients (P = 0.002). Collagen IV was up-regulated in the preoperative systemic therapy group in both Chevallier and Sataloff classifications compared with the control cases (P = 0.025 and P = 001, respectively). There were no significant differences in the expression of smooth muscle actin between the treated and nontreated groups. The syndecan-1 proteoglycan level was significantly down-regulated in the preoperative systemic therapy group (Chevallier classes P = 0.015, Sataloff classes P = 0.015). Tenascin-C was up-regulated in women with progressive disease (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have observed that the stromal component of breast carcinomas following preoperative systemic therapy differs from the nontreated tumors, which can be evaluated with the analysis of the above mentioned proteins.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, 93 Ulloi ut, 1091 Budapest, Hungary. tokesa1972@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Anna-Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tokes
authors.forename: Attila Marcell
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Szasz
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Farkas
authors.forename: Adrienn Ildiko
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Toth
authors.forename: Magdolna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dank
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harsanyi
authors.forename: Bela Akos
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Istvan Arthur
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Zsolt
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Laszlo
authors.forename: Zoltan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rusz
authors.forename: Janina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kulka
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000378:metabolism; D020360:Neoadjuvant Therapy / Q000379:methods; D011300:Preoperative Care; D053668:Syndecan-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019063:Tenascin / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D053668:Syndecan-1; D019063:Tenascin