title: MUC-1-/ESA+ progenitor cells in normal, benign and malignant human breast epithelial cells.
abstract: The existence of mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cells has been demonstrated in MUC-1-/ESA+ subpopulations of breast epithelial cells. However, knowledge about the expression and localization in benign and malignant breast lesions is unknown. Using a double-staining immunohistochemistry method, we investigated MUC-1-/ESA+ cells in 10 normal breast tissues, 49 cases with fibrocystic disease, 40 fibroadenomas, 36 invasive ductal carcinomas and the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468. In normal breast tissues MUC-1-/ESA+ cells were mainly found in the suprabasal layer, but under the apical surface of the duct/alveolus. In the hyperplastic areas of fibrocystic disease, the number of this subpopulation of cells was higher than that in hypoplastic areas and in fibroadenomas. In invasive ductal carcinoma, the MMUC-1-/ESA+ cells were heterogeneously present in different carcinoma nests. In the MCF-7 cell line most cells were MUC-1-/ESA+, and in the MDA-MB-468 cell line MUC-1-/ESA+ cells and MUC-1-/ESA+ cells were almost equal. Our results show that the MUC-1-/ESA+ subpopulation increases in fibrocystic disease within the hyperplastic areas, and varies in benign and malignant breast tumours, indicating that breast carcinogenesis may develop from malignant changes of normal MUC-1-/ESA+ cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xinquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lü
authors.forename: Huixiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kejia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jahn M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nesland
authors.forename: Zhenhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Suo
mesh_terms: D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005348:Fibrocystic Breast Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D018396:Mucin-1; C106354:flotillins