Title. Paper # 044

Paper # 044

Prognostic significance of apolipoprotein D immunohistochemical expression in male breast cancer.

Carlos Serra, Juan Carlos Rodríguez, Concepción Ildefonso, Mª Luz Lamelas, Julio Vázquez, César Monte, Luis Ovidio González, Elena Plaza, J. Medrano, Francisco Vizoso.

Department of General Surgery. Hospital de Jove, Gijón. Asturias. Spain.

[Introduction] [Materials & Methods] [Results] [Pictures] [Discussion]

Summary

Apolipoprotein D (apoD) is a glycoprotein involved in the human plasma lipid transport system and present in high concentrations in human breast gross cystic disease fluid. ApoD is also expressed in female breast cancers, where their cellular levels can be used to predict both relapse-free and overall survival (Díez-Itza et al., Am J Pathol, 1994). The object of this study was to evaluate the apoD tumoral expression and their clinical signification in 65 male patients with breast carcinoma, who were subject to mean follow-up period of 44 months. Tumoral expression of apoD was evaluated by immunohistochemical assay, using antiserum againt apoD, and following the biotin-streptavidin method with the Supersensitive system (Biogenex, San Ramon U.S.A.).

A total of 23 tumors (35%) were negative for apoD immunostaining, 10 (15%) carcinomas were weakly positive, 17 (26%) were moderately stained, whereas the remaining 25 (38%) tumors were strongly stained with the specific antibodies. A significant correlation was found between apoD immunostaining and the lymph node involvement. However, analysis of relapse-free survival and overall survival showed that low apoD values were significantly associated to shorter relapse-free survival (p<0.005) and poorer survival (p<0.05).

According to these date, we propose that apoD may contribute to more accurately identify subgoups of male breast cancer patients with low or high risk for relapse and death.

Key Words: Breast cancer, Male, Apoliprotein D, Prognosis, Immunochemistry

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