title: Correlation between enhancement characteristics of MR mammography and capillary density of breast lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To correlate capillary density of breast lesions using the markers D2-40, CD31, and CD34 with early and late enhancement of magnetic resonance mammography (MRM).
  
  
  METHODS
  The local ethics committee approved this study, and informed consent was avail-able from all patients. The study included 64 women with 66 histologically proven breast lesions (41 malignant, 25 benign). MR-enhancement 1 min after contrast medium administration was determined in the tumor (It1/It0 ratio) and in comparison to the surrounding tissue (It1/It1-fat ratio). Capillary density was quantified based on immunohistological staining with D2-40, CD31, and CD34 in breast tumors and surrounding breast tissue. Mean capillary densities were correlated with contrast enhancement in the tumor and surrounding breast tissue. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to test whether lesions with different MR enhancement patterns differed in terms of capillary density.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For CD34, there was statistically significant correlation between capillary density and tumor enhancement (r = 0.329, p = 0.012), however not for the malignant or benign groups separately. Mean vessel number identified by staining with D2-40 and CD31 did not correlate significantly with tumor enhancement (D2-40: r = -0.188, p = 0.130; CD31: r = 0.095, p = 0.448). There were no statistically significant differences in capillary density between breast lesions with delayed enhancement or a plateau and lesions showing washout (Kruskal-Wallis test. D2-40: p = 0.173; CD31: p = 0.647; CD34: p = 0.515).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the three markers tested, CD34 showed best correlation between early contrast enhancement on MRM and capillary density. Further studies are necessary to clearly demonstrate an association between capillary density and contrast enhancement in breast tumors and surrounding tissue.
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: alexander.poellinger@charite.de.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Poellinger
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Sahra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: El-Ghannam
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Diekmann
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Department of Pathology, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, D-53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Glen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.affiliation: Institut für Histologie und Zytologie, Bahnhofplatz 11, Postfach, 9101 Herisau, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fritzsche
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fallenberg
authors.affiliation: Diagnostik Ernst von Bergmann GmbH, Charlottenstr. 72, 14467 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morawietz
authors.affiliation: Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Radiology, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Diekmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001940:Breast / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged