The relationship between breast cancer molecular subtypes and mast cell
populations in tumor microenvironment
#MMPMID28315938
Glajcar A
; Szpor J
; Pacek A
; Tyrak KE
; Chan F
; Streb J
; Hodorowicz-Zaniewska D
; Oko? K
Virchows Arch
2017[May]; 470
(5
): 505-515
PMID28315938
show ga
Mast cells (MCs) are a part of the innate immune system. The MC functions toward
cancer are partially based on the release of chymase and tryptase. However, the
MC effect on breast cancer is controversial. The aim of our study was to
investigate the presence of MCs in breast cancer tumors of different molecular
subtypes and their relationships with other pathological prognostic factors.
Tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cell densities were evaluated by
immunohistochemistry in 108 primary invasive breast cancer tissue samples.
Positive cells were counted within the tumor bed and at the invasive margin. For
all analyzed MC subpopulations, we observed statistically significant differences
between individual molecular subtypes of breast cancer. The significantly higher
numbers of intratumoral chymase- and tryptase-positive mast cells were observed
in luminal A and luminal B tumors compared to triple-negative and HER2+
non-luminal lesions. A denser MC infiltration was associated with lower tumor
grade, higher ER and PR expression, lower proliferation rate as well as the lack
of HER2 overexpression. The results obtained in our study indicate a possible
association of chymase- and tryptase-positive MCs with more favorable cancer
immunophenotype and with beneficial prognostic indicators in breast cancer.
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