title: The relationship between histologic grades of invasive carcinoma of breast ducts and mast cell infiltration.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Breast carcinoma is the most prevalent tumors among women. Transformation of inflated cells in immune response leads to increase in inflammatory cells such as macrophages, mast cells (MC) and fibroblasts. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between grades of invasive carcinoma of the breast ducts and MC infiltration around tumoral cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the present study, 75 female patients suffering from invasive ductal carcinoma who underwent surgery or diagnostic biopsy during 2010 and 2013 in Educational-Medical centers of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, were included in the study. Based on Bloom-Richardson grading system, 25 cases were selected from each grade. To better observe of MCs, samples were stained by Toluidine blue and MCs were counted in 10 40 × 10 fields.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 47.56 ± 10.84 and the number of MCs was between 6 and 96 and their overall average was 43.01. Average count of MCs in grade 1, 2 and 3 were 15.92 ± 10.07, 45.32 ± 10.47, and 67.8 ± 20.70, respectively. There was a significant relationship between the number of MCs and increase in disease grade (P < 0.001). With increasing grade of malignancy, the number of MCs had grown. No significant relationship was observed between age and grade of disease or age and number of MC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to obtained results, number of MC around tumoral cells increased significantly with an increase in the grade of disease. In order to treat in the first stages of the disease, recognizing primary changes in the stroma of cells could be helpful.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hematology and Oncology Research Center, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Ashraf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fakhrjou
authors.affiliation: Medical Philosophy and History Research Center, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naghavi-Behzad
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Surgery, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Montazeri
authors.affiliation: Liver and Gastrointestinal Disease Research Center, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Farid
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Karkon-Shayan
authors.affiliation: Department of Midwifery, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Norouzi-Panahi
authors.affiliation: Students' Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Piri
keywords: Breast cancer; histopathological grade; invasive ductal carcinoma; mast cell