Vascular invasion in triple-negative carcinoma of the breast identified by endothelial lymphatic and blood vessel markers.

The aim of this study was to determine lymph vessel invasion (LVI) and blood vessel invasion (BVI) using established biological markers and clinicopathological findings for triple-negative breast carcinoma. We reviewed all 202 cases of primary breast carcinoma that were surgically resected at Saitama Medical Center, Saitama Medical School, between 2006 and 2009. Tumor tissue was immunostained for estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, Her2/neu, D2-40, and CD34. Among these, 26 cases of triple-negative carcinoma were reported retrospectively. The results were compared with those of 176 cases of non-triple-negative carcinomas that were included as controls. The frequency of LVI examined by hematoxylin and eosin and D2-40 (triple negative, 7 of 26; non-triple negative, 61 of 176) was not significantly different, and neither was BVI examined by HE, Elastica van Gieson, CD34 (triple negative, 2 of 26; non-triple negative, 16 of 176), and lymph node metastasis (triple negative 9 of 26, non-triple negative, 65 of 176). However, a specific pattern of distant metastasis with a high frequency of visceral metastases was detected in triple-negative carcinoma cases (triple negative, 6 of 26; non-triple negative, 8 of 176). Our findings show that triple-negative carcinoma of the breast may have a distinct biological behavior.

Differential expression of glu-tubulin in relation to mammary gland disease.

Tubulin is one of the molecular components that regulate cytosketal structure relating to cell differentiation, invasion, and metastasis in cancer. Recently, glu-tubulin, in which the C-terminal tyrosine of α-tubulin is removed by tubulin carboxypeptidase, overexpression has been reported in malignant tumors of the mammary gland immunohistochemically. We identified 147 cases accessioned in the Department of Pathology, International University of Health and Welfare Hospital from 2003 to 2009. Of the 78 malignant tumor cases, staining for glu-tubulin was observed in 56 (71.8%), and only 22 cases showed no significant staining. However, in benign disease, glu-tubulin staining was detected in the cytoplasm of fibroblasts and endothelial cells, but was completely absent from epithelial cells in 64 of 69 cases. When the expression of glu-tubulin was compared between malignant tumor, benign tumor, and other benign disease, a significant differentiation was found among expressions of this protein. These results indicate that glu-tubulin represents a strong selective expression for cancer cells and may be useful to identify and quantify human breast cancer.