Back to Search
Start Over
The assessment of angiogenesis and fibroblastic stromagenesis in hyperplastic and pre-invasive breast lesions.
- Source :
- BMC Cancer; 2008, Vol. 8, Special section p1-8, 8p, 2 Color Photographs, 3 Charts, 3 Graphs
- Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Background: To investigate the changes of the neoplastic microenvironment during the different morphological alterations of hyperplastic and pre-invasive breast lesions. Methods: 78 in situ ductal carcinomas of all degrees of differentiation, 22 atypical ductal hyperplasias, 25 in situ lobular carcinomas, 18 atypical lobular hyperplasias, 32 ductal epithelial hyperplasias of usual type and 8 flat atypias were immunohistochemically investigated for the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), smooth muscle actin (SMA) and CD34, while microvessel density (MVD) was counted using the anti-CD31 antibody. Results: VEGF expression was strongly correlated with MVD in all hyperplastic and pre-invasive breast lesions (p < 0.05). Stromagenesis, as characterized by an increase in SMA and a decrease in CD34 positive myofibroblasts was observed mostly around ducts harboring high grade in situ carcinoma and to a lesser extent around moderately differentiated DCIS. In these two groups of in situ carcinomas, a positive correlation between MVD and SMA (p < 0.05) was observed. On the contrary, CD34 was found to be inversely related to MVD (p < 0.05). No statistically significant changes of the stromal fibroblasts were observed in low grade DCIS neither in any of the other lesions under investigation as compared to normal mammary intra- and interlobular stroma. Conclusion: Angiogenesis is observed before any significant fibroblastic stromagenesis in pre-invasive breast lesions. A composite phenotype characterized by VEGF positive epithelial cells and SMA positive/CD34 negative stromal cells, is identified mostly in intermediate and high grade DCIS. These findings might imply for new therapeutic strategies using both anti-angiogenic factors and factors selectively targeting tumor stroma in order to prevent the progression of DCIS to invasive carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14712407
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- BMC Cancer
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35704228
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-8-88