title: Decreased Hsp90 expression in infiltrative lobular carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Elevated Hsp90 expression has been documented in breast ductal carcinomas, whereas decreased Hsp90 expression has been reported in precursor lobular lesions. This study aims to assess Hsp90 expression in infiltrative lobular carcinomas of the breast.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue specimens were taken from 32 patients with infiltrative lobular carcinoma. Immunohistochemical assessment of Hsp90 was performed both in the lesion and the adjacent normal breast ducts and lobules; the latter serving as control. Concerning Hsp90 assessment: i) the percentage of positive cells and ii) the intensity were separately analyzed. Subsequently, the Allred score was adopted and calculated. The intensity was treated as an ordinal variable-score (0: negative, low: 1, moderate: 2, high: 3). Statistical analysis followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All infiltrative lobular carcinoma foci mainly presented with a positive cytoplasmic immunoreaction for Hsp90. Compared to the adjacent normal ducts and lobules, infiltrative lobular carcinoma exhibited a statistically significant decrease in Hsp90 expression, both in terms of Hsp90 positive cells (%) and Allred score (74.2 +/- 11.2 vs. 59.1 +/- 14.2 p = 0.0001; 7.00 +/- 0.95 vs. 6.22 +/- 1.01, p = 0.007, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test). Concerning the intensity of Hsp90 immunostaining only a marginal decrease was noted (2.16 +/- 0.68 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.63, p = 0.087, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ILC lesions seem to exhibit decreased Hsp90 expression, a finding contrary to what might have been expected, given that high Hsp90 expression is a trait of invasive ductal carcinomas.
authors.affiliation: Breast Unit, 1stDepartment of Propaedeutic Surgery, Hippokratio Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zagouri
authors.forename: Theodoros
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sergentanis
authors.forename: Afrodite
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nonni
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papadimitriou
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pazaiti
authors.forename: Nikolaos V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Michalopoulos
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Safioleas
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazaris
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Theodoropoulos
authors.forename: Effstratios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patsouris
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zografos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D018841:HSP90 Heat-Shock Proteins