Abstract

Tumor angiogenesis and expression of metastasis regulation gene protein(nm23) and histone mRNA were eveluated in 42 breast cancers to assess their roles in prognosis. Tumor angiogenesis was studied by measuring the FVIIIRA-positive endothelial cells, and nm23 protein expression by immunohistochemical staining. Histone mRNA poisitive cells were examined by non-isotopic in situ hybridization. The results were analyzed according to the patients age, tumor size, presence or absence of lymph node metastais and DNA ploidy. DNA aneuploidy was found in 28 of 38 (74%) and Factor VIIIRA-positive endothelial cells were found within and around the invasive carcinoma and periductal stroma in intraductal carcinoma. Tumor angiogenesis was more active in primary tumors than in metastatic lesions. nm23 protein expresian was strong in normal parenchyme, but it was variable in stainability and extents according to the areas. The intraductal component showed stronger staining than invasive carcinoma in nm23 protein expression. Histone mRNA positive cells were found in both normal and malignant epithelial cells, but more frequent in metastatic lesion than in primary tumor. Tumor angiogenesis and loss of nm23 protein were associated with the presence of metastatic node and large size of primary tumor(23 cm). The expression of histone mRNA was only associated with poor differentiation af tumor, but not with S-phase fraction af cell cycle study. From this study, it is concluded that tumor angiogenesis and expression of nm23 protein could be used as prognostic indicators in breast cancers, but histone mRNA expression had the limited value.

• Keywords: Angiosenesis, nm23, Histone mRNA, Breast cancer, NISH