title: Angiogenesis in triple-negative adenoid cystic carcinomas of the breast.
abstract: We compared microvascular density (MVD), lymph vessel density (LVD), and the expression of hypoxia pathway-associated proteins between primary triple-negative adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast (TN-ACC) and grade-matched triple-negative breast carcinomas of no special type (TNBC). Twelve TN-ACC and 15 TNBC were investigated immunohistochemically for CD31, podoplanin (D2-40), von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL), and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) protein. All cases were lymph node negative (pN0). The study revealed a median MVD (CD31) of 34 vessels/mm(2) (mean ± SD, 41.33 ± 6.5/mm(2)) in the TN-ACC subgroup and a median of 55 microvessels (mean ± SD, 54.9 ± 6.3/mm(2)) in the TNBC subgroup. The median LVD (D2-40) was 10.5/mm(2) (mean ± SD, 11.9 ± 1.5/mm(2)) in the TN-ACC subgroup and 15.0/mm(2) (mean ± SD, 16.9 ± 2.5/mm(2)) lymph vessels in the TNBC subgroup. The differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.93, P = 0.67, respectively). pVHL was detectable in all TN-ACCs whereas two cases of TNBC had less than 5% of the positive cells. HIF-1α protein expression was significantly higher in the tumor cell population than in adjacent normal cells in both subgroups (P = 0.009 for TNBC and P = 0.028 for TN-ACC, respectively), but there was no significant difference between the two tumor groups. Up-regulation of the hypoxia-induced signaling is seen in both TN-ACC and grade-matched TNBC. Despite its perceived low malignant potential, TN-ACC of the breast does not differ in the number of blood and lymphatic vessels in comparison with the grade-matched TNBC. The reported biologic differences between TN-ACC and TNBC do not appear to result from neoangiogenesis.
authors: Department of Pathology, Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, Bolnička 25, BA-71000, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. semir.vranic@gmail.com
authors: Semir
authors: S
authors: Vranic
authors: Snjezana
authors: S
authors: Frkovic-Grazio
authors: Nurija
authors: N
authors: Bilalovic
authors: Zoran
authors: Z
authors: Gatalica
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D003528:Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone