title: The role of CD44+/CD24-/low biomarker for screening, diagnosis and monitoring of breast cancer.
abstract: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have been defined as 'a cell within a tumor that possesses the capacity to self-renew and to cause the heterogeneous lineages of cancer cells that comprise the tumor'. The CSC hypothesis postulates that a small subpopulation of cancer cells drives tumor initiation, growth and metastasis. CSCs have been isolated from breast cancer using CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the expression of CD44+/CD24-/low in two diverse breast carcinomas (ductal and lobular), and to determine the correlation between expression of CD44+/CD24-/low, and clinicopathological characteristics starting from human fresh breast cancer specimens. We analyzed specimens from 57 patients using CD44 and CD24 markers by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry and correlated the CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype with clinicopathological characteristics. Moreover, mammosphere formation was tested. In all specimens tested, CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype was detectable with mean percentage of 4.73% as confirmed also by immunohistochemical analyses. A significant statistical association was found among these phenotypic groups and age, grade G3, estrogen and progesterone receptor, Ki-67 as well as lymph node metastasis. No correlation was found for histological type. In conclusion, our data showed that CD44+/CD24-/low phenotype was found at a high frequency in tumors pT2, G3, pN3, positive for Ki-67, and negative for estrogen and progesterone receptors highlighting the hypothesis that CD44+/CD24-/low profile correlates with the more aggressive clinical-pathological features of the disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, National Cancer Institute, G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Camerlingo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic, Traumatologic, Rehabilitative and Plastic-Reconstructive Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe Andrea
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic, Traumatologic, Rehabilitative and Plastic-Reconstructive Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Francesco
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Hepatobiliary Surgery and Liver Transplantation, Padua University Hospital, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic, Traumatologic, Rehabilitative and Plastic-Reconstructive Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Bonito
authors.affiliation: Department of Senology, National Cancer Institute, G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rinaldo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic, Traumatologic, Rehabilitative and Plastic-Reconstructive Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, National Cancer Institute, G. Pascale, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pirozzi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051927:CD24 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051927:CD24 Antigen; C497889:CD24 protein, human; C497483:CD44 protein, human; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone