Research Article
Gabriela Souto Vieira-de-Mello
Abstract
Breast Ductal Carcinoma in situ (DCIS) show a high degree of architectural heterogeneity and what kind of DCIS lesions will progress to invasive disease remains unknown. Thus, its characterization remains a complex process. In addition, in the same tumor we can find different types of lesions that presented different biological behaviour and morphology. Carbohydrate expression changes play crucial roles in carcinogenesis of the breast, becoming the study these changes a useful tool for an accurate predictor. In this context, this work aimed analyzed the differential expression of specific carbohydrates among the DCIS lesion through lectin histochemistry and its correlation with its behaviors. Glycobiology expression of 218 DCIS samples of human breast cancer was investigated by MAL-II, PNA, WGA, PHA-L and SNA lectins. MAL-II was more expressed (p=0.0191) in cribriform (positive in 100%) than in comedo (positive in 41.2%) and solid lesions (p=0.0440). However, PNA profile showed a higher reactivity in comedo (p=0.0052) and micropapillary (p=0.0010) lesions when compared to solid one. The other lectins showed different expression degrees in all lesions analyzed but none was statistically relevant. Our results revels different carbohydrate patterns concerning different DCIS morphological subtypes indicating that these lesions could act as independent biological entities.