Clinical Significance Of Expression Of Prostate Stem Cell Antigen (PSCA) In Breast Cancer

ObjectiveImmunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of PSCA in breast cancer, adjacent non-cancers tissues and their clinical significance.Materials and Methods1. Experimental meterialsSurgical specimens were collected from 2007 February to December at the First Affiliated Hospital of the China Medical University. All the patients were females, the age ranging from 34 to 65, the mean is 48 years old. The inclusion criteria were as follows:(a) curative operations were performed; (b) resected specimens were pathologically examined; (c) more than 10 lymph nodes were pathologically examined after operation.2. Experimental methodImmunohistochemistry was carried out using the Envision method. Monoclonal mouse anti-human PSCA were from Fuzhou Maixin Biotechnology. Negative controls were prepared by substituting PBS for primary antibody. Observe the expression of PSCA in breast cancer. The relationships and significance of clinicopathological characteristics of breast cancer between its expression was analyzed as well.3. Evaluation of stainingSemi-quantitative integration was used for the evaluation and two high magnification visual fields were randomly selected by two observer from each section for observation. Positive intensity was classified as follows:colorless scored 0, yellow scored 1, brownish yellow scored 2, and saddle-brown scored 3. The number of positive cells less than 5%scored 0; 5%-25%scored 1; 26%-50%scored 2; more than 50%scored 3.4. Testing method All statistical analyses were conducted using the statistical program, SPSS (version 13.0; SPSS, Chicago.). Chi-square test was used to compare the differences between categorical. A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Results1. Distribution and location of PSCAThe positive signal of PSCA was mainly located in cytoplasm and cytomembrane.2. The positive expression rate of PSCA in breast cancer tissues and adjacent non-cancer tissuesThe positive expression rate of PSCA in breast cancer tissues was 60.3%, and adjacent non-cancer tissues was 10.3%, the positive expression rate of PSCA in breast cancer tissues was significantly higher than that of adjacent non-cancer tissues.3. Correction between the expression of PSCA and clinicopathological parameters.The expression of PSCA in tumors size was larger than 5 cm was higher than tumors size was less than 5 cm (χ2= 4.035, P<0.05). The expression of PSCA in positive metastasis of lymph node was higher than the negative metastasis of lymph node (χ2= 6.918, P< 0.05). In the TNM stage, the expression of PSCA in III stage was higher thanⅡstage (χ2= 5.749, P< 0.05). There were significant in the number of metastasis of lymph node (χ2= 7.197, P< 0.05).No difference of positive rate of PSCA was found in the patients age, ER and PR expression (P>0.05). The expression of PSCA was positively correlated to the TNM stage of breast cancer (χ2= 6.783, P< 0.05).ConclusionsThe expression of PSCA might be related to the tumor size, metastasis of lymph nodes and the stage of clinicopathologic. The expression of PSCA was positively correlated to the TNM stage of breast cancer. PSCA might be important marker for reflecting the biological behaviors.