Differential immunostaining of various types of breast carcinomas for growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor - Apocrine epithelium and carcinomas emerging as uniformly positive.
Different classes of breast cancers were explored for their positivity for growth hormone-releasing hormone receptors (GHRH-R) in this pilot study, as no systematic evaluation of such tumors has been performed to date. Seventy-two small primary breast carcinomas were evaluated for GHRH-R expression by immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody and a cutoff value of 10% staining. GHRH-R positivity was detected in 58% of all cases, 20/23 (87%) of invasive lobular carcinomas (ILC) and 22/46 (48%) of invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC). GHRH-R positivity was more frequent in grade 2 tumors (86%), as compared to grade 1 (18%) or grade 3 (47%) cancers. GHRH-R expression was not associated with mitotic scores, the Ki-67 labeling indices or nodal status. IDCs with casting-type calcifications on the mammogram showed positivity for GHRH-R in 9/12 (75%) cases. Most importantly, apocrine epithelium, and all 10 apocrine carcinomas added later to the study were GHRH-R-positive. These preliminary results suggest a greater than average GHRH-R expression in ILCs and IDCs associated with casting-type calcifications on the mammogram. Apocrine carcinomas seem uniformly positive for GHRH-R. Whether these findings could indicate a potential role of GHRH-antagonists in targeted treatment of these types of breast cancer requires further studies.
Department of Pathology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
Bence
B
Kővári
Orsolya
O
Rusz
Andrew V
AV
Schally
Zsuzsanna
Z
Kahán
Gábor
G
Cserni
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D008327:Mammography; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D018013:Receptors, Neuropeptide; D018017:Receptors, Pituitary Hormone-Regulating Hormone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human; C048250:somatotropin releasing hormone receptor
Apocrine carcinoma; breast cancer; growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor; immunohistochemistry