title: Impact of different tumour stroma assessment methods regarding podoplanin expression on clinical outcome in patients with invasive ductal breast carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Podoplanin, a small mucin-type transmembrane protein has been shown in several studies to be expressed in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and affect patient outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated podoplanin expression in CAFs in a cohort of 257 patients with invasive ductal breast carcinomas (IDCs) using three different assessment scales based on the number of positive cells alone or in combination with the reaction intensity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two of the utilized scales yielded prognostic information concerning patients' overall survival (OS), but scores were not independent prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. On the contrary, two scales based on the combination of cell positivity and reaction intensity had no significant impact on patients' OS, but they were significantly correlated with a greater number of analysed clinicopathological parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In summary, podoplanin expression in CAFs may be considered a possible marker of poor prognosis in IDC, however, caution should be taken as the results varied regarding the utilized scales.
authors.affiliation: Regional Specialist Hospital, Research and Development Center, Wroclaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Bartosz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pula
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wojnar
authors.forename: Bozena
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Werynska
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ambicka
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kruczak
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Witkiewicz
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ugorski
authors.forename: Marzena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Podhorska-Okolow
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dziegiel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin