title: Differential immune cell densities in ductal carcinoma In-Situ and invasive breast cancer: Possible role of leukocytes in early stages of carcinogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate immune cell densities in pre-neoplastic (DCIS), cancer (IDC) and control breast tissues.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of four preneoplastic, 104 cancer and 104 control samples were analyzed. Morphological classification and prognostic scoring along with quantification of immune cells/mm(2) was performed. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Correlation of immune cell densities with various tumour sub-types was investigated using paired t-test and ANOVA. A p-value of <0.05 was considered as significant.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data show increased infiltration of lymphocytes (mean lymphocytes = 287.6cells/mm(2)) as well as myelocytes (mean lymphocytes = 117.1cells/mm(2)) in pre-neoplastic tissues. This infiltration was significantly high compared to cancer (p-value<0.001) as well as control tissues (p-value <0.001). Moreover, we report increased infiltration of lymphocytes in cancer tissues compared to controls (p-value<0.001). There was no difference in lymphocyte densities within various tumour sub-types (all p-values >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Leukocytes may play a role in early stages of breast carcinogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Dr. Bushra Sikandar, MBBS (Dow). M. Phil Student and Research Associate (Histopathology) Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi - Pakistan.
authors.forename: Bushra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sikandar
authors.affiliation: Dr. Muhammad Asif Qureshi, MBBS, PhD Assistant Professor of Immunology, Department of Pathology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi - Pakistan.
authors.forename: Muhammad Asif
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.affiliation: Dr. Talat Mirza, MBBS, M. Phil, PhD. Professor of Pathology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi - Pakistan.
authors.forename: Talat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.affiliation: Dr. Saeed Khan, BSc, MSc, PhD, Post-Doc (USA). Assistant Professor of Pathology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi - Pakistan.
authors.forename: Saeed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.affiliation: Dr. Lunba Avesi, MBBS, FCPS. Assistant Professor of Pathology, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi - Pakistan.
authors.forename: Lubna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Avesi
keywords: Breast cancer; Immune cell densities; Immune infiltrates; Pre-neoplasia