title: Correlation between Choline Peak at MR Spectroscopy and Calcium-Sensing Receptor Expression Level in Breast Cancer: A Preliminary Clinical Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is overexpressed in many pathological states including breast cancer. Since choline kinase may be activated in breast cancer cells by CaSR resulting in increased phosphocholine production, we sought to correlate the total choline peak in breast lesions as measured by in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) with the CaSR expression levels in surgical specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six patients with breast lesions were MR scanned at 3T scanner. Tumour morphology and DCE-MR kinetics were evaluated. (1)H-MRS was applied for Cho detection and compared with the CaSR immunohistochemistry analysis (score 0-5) on surgical breast specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-four lesions demonstrated a DCE malignant kinetics curve (types 2 and 3), while two lesions showed a benign (type 1). Twenty of the 23 breast cancer lesions (87%) with a consistent Cho peak expressed a CaSR score of 3-5, and ten of the 11 breast lesions negative for Cho (91%) had a CaSR score of 1-2. The two benign lesions showed a non-uniform/weak intense expression of the CaSR (score 3) with a consistent Cho peak.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presence or absence of choline peak evaluated by (1)H-MRS, well correlated with the expression of CaSR in patients with breast lesions (p < 0.01), supports the hypothesis that CaSR may play an important role in the production of choline in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostic Imaging and Senology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria (AOU) San Martino-IST-National Cancer Institute, 16132, Genoa, Italy, gabriella.baio@abdn.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baio
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rescinito
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pace
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boccardo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Truini
authors.forename: Carlo Emanuele
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Neumaier
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; D002794:Choline