Stromal matrix protein expression following preoperative systemic therapy in breast cancer.
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.
Tokes
Anna-Maria
AM
Second Department of Pathology, Semmelweis University, 93 Ulloi ut, 1091 Budapest, Hungary. tokesa1972@yahoo.co.uk
Szasz
Attila Marcell
AM
Farkas
Andrea
A
Toth
Adrienn Ildiko
AI
Dank
Magdolna
M
Harsanyi
Laszlo
L
Molnar
Bela Akos
BA
Molnar
Istvan Arthur
IA
Laszlo
Zsolt
Z
Rusz
Zoltan
Z
Kulka
Janina
J
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
D000199:Actins; D024141:Collagen Type IV; D053668:Syndecan-1; D019063:Tenascin