The clinicopathological significance of CD44+/CD24-/low and CD24+ tumor cells in invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast.
Breast cancer cells with a CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) phenotype have been suggested to have tumor-initiating properties. It is unclear whether their presence correlates with clinicopathological features of invasive micropapillary carcinoma (IMPC) of the breast, an unusual subtype of breast cancer with a high incidence of lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. CD44 and CD24 expression was determined by double-staining immunohistochemistry in 103 cases of IMPC and in 94 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The prevalence of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells was higher in IMPC than in invasive ductal carcinoma IDC (P=0.018). The CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells were also detected in adjacent stroma surrounding the micropapillary structure in 53.4% (55/103) of IMPC, but only in 7.4% (7/94) of stroma of IDC. These tumor cells in stroma of IMPC were positive for vimentin and α-smooth muscle actin, and negative for E-cadherin. The CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells in the micropapillary structure of IMPC were associated with those in stroma (P=0.000). Moreover, they were both associated with lymphovascular invasion and extranodal extension, respectively (P<0.05). The proportion of CD24(+) tumor cells was also higher in IMPC than in IDC (P=0.035), and the CD24(+) tumor cells were associated with lymph node metastasis in IMPC (P=0.010). The results suggest that the increased proportion of CD44(+)/CD24(-/low) tumor cells and CD24(+) tumor cells and the epithelial mesenchymal transition may play an important role in aggressiveness and high metastatic risk of breast IMPC.
Li
Weidong
W
Department of Breast Cancer Pathology and Research Laboratory of Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institution and Hospital, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of Education, Tianjin, China.
Liu
Fangfang
F
Lei
Ting
T
Xu
Xinsheng
X
Liu
Bingbing
B
Cui
Lifang
L
Wei
Jia
J
Guo
Xiaojing
X
Lang
Ronggng
R
Fan
Yu
Y
Gu
Feng
F
Tang
Ping
P
Zhang
Xinmin
X
Fu
Li
L
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D012306:Risk; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
D000199:Actins; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; D015820:Cadherins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D014746:Vimentin