title: Chemokine C-C motif ligand 18 expression correlates with tumor malignancy in breast cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether CCL18 is involved in breast cancer, and the relationship between CCL18 and MVD (MVD was recognized by CD34) which is a well-accepted angiogenic maker of multiple cancers including breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry staining for CCL18 and CD34 was performed on 179 cases, including 29 normal cases as control, 47 cases with benign breast diseases, and 103 cases with breast cancer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that CCL18 was significantly up-regulated in breast cancer samples as compared with benign tumors or normal breast tissues. Moreover, the expression level of CCL18 increased with the size of tumors, the number of lymph node metastasis, and advancing tumor stage, suggesting that CCL18 expression correlates with tumor malignancy scales. At the same time, we found that MVD was also significantly over-expressed in cancer tissues as compared with normal control group and benign tumor group, but it was not significantly differentially expressed among tumors with different malignancy scale like CCL18, while the expression of MVD in CCL18 positive breast cancer cases was higher than in the CCL18 negative breast cancer cases (P=0.016, P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCL18 is involved in the development of breast cancer. CCL18 is a better biomarker than MVD in determining whether the tumor is malignant and the severity of malignancy of breast cancer.
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No.151, Yangjiangxi Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Gao
authors: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Prevention and Cure Center of Breast Disease, the Third Hospital of Nanchang City, JiangXi Breast Specialist Hospital, Nanchang 330009, China.
authors: Z-H
authors: ZH
authors: Li
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No.151, Yangjiangxi Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Tang
authors: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors: Q-N
authors: QN
authors: Wu
authors: Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China.
authors: G-H
authors: GH
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Breast Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, No.151, Yangjiangxi Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou 510120, China. Electronic address: wenbo_zheng@yeah.net.
authors: W-B
authors: WB
authors: Zheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D001940:Breast / Q000378:metabolism; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000196:embryology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C111792:CCL18 protein, human; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins
keywords: Breast cancer; CCL18; Cancer du sein; MVD; Malignancy; Malignité; Tumeur; Tumor