[Aromatase expression in invasive and in situ ductal carcinoma present in the same breast].
OBJECTIVE
to evaluate the expression of aromatase in simultaneously invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS).


METHODS
forty-five surgical samples were obtained from mastectomy and quadrantectomy with simultaneous IDC and DCIS of stage I and II patients. Aromatase was evaluated using antibodies anti-aromatase and the samples classified in accordance with the number and intensity of stained cells.


RESULTS
Aromatase was expressed positively in 32(71%) and negatively in 13(29%) of the cases in the IDC. The same results were obtained in the DCIS showing a perfect positive correlation. In the normal epithelium,aromatase was positive in 19(42.2%) and negative in 26 (57.8%) and a positive correlation, statistically significant was obtained when compared with IDC and DCIS(p<0.01). Concerning the normal stroma, positivity was only 7 (15.5%) showing no correlation with aromatase expression. Aromatase was positive in 36(80%) of the tumor stroma and this result was statistically significant as in the IDC and DCIS. Comparing results of aromatase expression with nuclear grade, histological grade, tumor size and age no difference was found.


CONCLUSIONS
our results demonstrated high correlation between aromatase expression in IDC, DCIS, normal epithelium and tumor stroma showing a possible autocrine and paracrine mechanism of this enzyme in breast cancer.
Oliveira
Vilmar Marques de
VM
Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Santa Casa de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP.
Ribeiro
Lecticia de Siqueira
Lde S
Rossi
Lia Mara
LM
Silva
Maria Antonieta Longo Galvão
MA
Aldrighi
José Mendes
JM
Bagnoli
Fábio
F
Rinaldi
José Francisco
JF
Aoki
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001141:Aromatase / Q000032:analysis*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D001141:Aromatase