Dora Fučkar

VEGF Expression is Associated with Negative Estrogen Receptor Status in Patients with Breast Cancer

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression on tumor cells and other clinicopathologic parameters in breast cancer that could give additional information on its prognostic significance. Immunohistochemical analysis of expression of VEGF, estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2/neu, and Ki67 was performed in 233 breast cancers. VEGF expression estimated semiquantitatively was correlated with all the above-mentioned parameters as well as with clinicopathologic characteristics of breast cancer such as menopausal status of patients, tumor size, histologic and nuclear grade, vascular invasion, and lymph node status. Most of the tumor cells and some stromal components expressed VEGF. A higher percentage of VEGF-positive tumor cells was present in premenopausal patients and in ER-negative tumors. In postmenopausal patients tumors with a higher expression of VEGF were associated not only with ER-negative but also with HER-2/neu-positive tumor cells. These ER-negative tumors were characterized by a higher proliferative activity. Angiogenic switch as well as proliferative activity of breast cancer cells probably are unfavorably dependent on estrogen activity. This negative correlation between VEGF expression and ER status may not only shed more light on tumor biology but may also have future therapeutic implications.

Macrophage level is not affected by monocyte chemotactic protein-1 in invasive ductal breast carcinoma

Purpose and method: Monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine involved in the macrophage infiltration of tumor tissue. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are a population of mononuclear phagocytic cells that can have a complex function in tumor biology. The aim of this study was to determine the possible correlation between parenchymal MCP-1 expression and TAM level by immunohistochemical analysis of 97 invasive ductal breast carcinomas, not otherwise specified (NOS), and to investigate their relation with tumor size, histological grade, mitotic activity index (MAI) and lymph node status. Secondly, the MCP-1 mRNA was determined by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in eight samples of normal breast tissue and 27 samples of invasive breast carcinomas and compared with TAMs. Results: MCP-1 immunoreactivity was present in tumor cells (17/97), but also in TAMs, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The statistical analysis did not show a significant correlation between MCP-1 expression in tumoral epithelium and tumor size, histological grade, MAI, lymph node status or TAMs. The results of RT-PCR showed that, in all cases of breast carcinomas (27/27) and the majority of normal breast tissues (7/8), the number of detected MCP-1 cDNA copies was above the detection limit. However, carcinomas showed higher levels of MCP-1 mRNA than normal breast tissue. Nevertheless, the statistical analysis did not find a significant correlation between MCP-1 expression and macrophage infiltrations. Conclusion: These results indicate that MCP-1 is probably not the only and/or crucial factor involved in macrophage attraction to tumor locus in breast carcinoma.

Cytomorphological variations, proliferation and angiogenesis in the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma

Summary Depth of invasion and stage of the disease are well known prognostic indicators in cutaneous melanoma (CM). However, the role of other parameters, such as the variations in cytomorphology of melanocyte tumours, mitotic activity and angiogenesis is still open to question. The aim of this study was to analyse proliferation by mitotic activity index (MAI) and immunostaining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and the intensity of neovascularization (microvessel density; MVD) in CM clinical stage I in relation to epithelioid, spindle and nevoid cell type, histological type (superficial spreading melanoma and nodular melanoma), Clarks level and Breslow thickness. Finally, the role of all parameters in the prognosis of CM was evaluated. Statistical analysis demonstrated that cytological characteristics of CM correlate only with Clarks level, while histological types correlate with MAI, PCNA and MVD. MAI and PCNA also showed correlation between groups according to Clarks level and Breslow thickness. Finally, tumour cell PCNA was found to correlate with MVD. Survival of patients with CM correlated significantly with MAI. These results suggest that cytological variation, histological type, PCNA and MVD alone are not independent prognostic parameters, whereas MAI is a potentially important prognostic marker in CM.