Inhibitory receptor immunoglobulin-like transcript 4 was highly expressed in primary ductal and lobular breast cancer and significantly correlated with IL-10.
BACKGROUND
Immunoglobulin-like transcript 4 (ILT4) is an inhibitory molecule involved in immune response and has recently been identified to be strongly inducible by IL-10. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations of ILT4 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and IL-10 expression in primary ductal and lobular breast cancer.


METHODS
We studied the expression of ILT4 in 4 cancer cell lines, 117 primary tumor tissues and 97 metastatic lymph nodes from patients with primary ductal and lobular breast cancer by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blot or immunohistochemistry analysis. Additionally, IL-10 expression was also investigated using immunohistochemistry in primary tumor tissues. Then the relationship between ILT4 expression and clinicopathological characteristics/IL-10 expression was evaluated.


RESULTS
ILT4 was highly expressed in all 4 human breast cancer cell lines on both mRNA and protein levels. In primary tumor tissues, ILT4 or IL-10 was expressed in the cell membrane, cytoplasm, or both; the positive rate of ILT4 and IL-10 expression was 60.7% (71/117) and 80.34% (94/117), respectively. ILT4 level was significantly correlated with IL-10 (r =0.577; p<0.01). Furthermore, the expression of ILT4 or IL-10 was associated with less number of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) (p=0.004 and 0.018, respectively) and more lymph node metastasis (p=0.046 and 0.035, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our data demonstrated the association of ILT4 and IL-10 expression in human breast cancer, suggesting their important roles in immune dysfunction and lymph node metastases.
The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/1692652692107916.
Jie
J
Liu
Linlin
L
Wang
Wei
W
Gao
Liwen
L
Li
Xia
X
Cui
Hongyan
H
Yang
Wenli
W
Lin
Qi
Q
Dang
Nan
N
Zhang
Department of Oncology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong University, No,105, Jie Fang Road, Jinan, Shandong 250013, PR, China. sunyuping@live.cn.
Yuping
Y
Sun
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
C508609:IL10 protein, human; C491341:LILRB2 protein, human; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D016753:Interleukin-10