TY - JOUR
T1 - Androgen and androgen-metabolizing enzymes in metastasized lymph nodes of breast cancer
AU - Shibahara, Yukiko
AU - Miki, Yasuhiro
AU - Sakurada, Chikako
AU - Uchida, Keiko
AU - Hata, Shuko
AU - Mcnamara, Keely May
AU - Yoda, Tomomi
AU - Takagi, Kiyoshi
AU - Nakamura, Yasuhiro
AU - Suzuki, Takashi
AU - Ishida, Takanori
AU - Ohuchi, Noriaki
AU - Sasano, Hironobu
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2013/10
Y1 - 2013/10
N2 - Summary Androgen receptor and androgen metabolizing enzymes, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5 (17βHSD5) and 5α-reductase1 (5α1), are frequently detected in primary tumor of breast cancer, but their status in metastatic lymph nodes has not been examined. The biological role of androgen in breast cancer and its metastatic process also remain unknown. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to localize the expression of androgen receptor, 17βHSD5, and 5α1 in primary tumors and paired metastatic lymph nodes and correlated the findings with clinicopathologic factors of individual patients. Approximately 70% of primary tumors and paired metastatic lymph nodes expressed androgen receptor, with significant correlation between both lesions. However, 17βHSD5 and 5α1 immunoreactivity was decreased in metastatic lymph nodes. Alone or in tandem with androgen receptor, 5α1 was associated with significantly lower Ki-67 index, lower pathologic grade, and higher estrogen receptor positivity, but androgen receptor/5α1 double positivity in lymph nodes was associated with larger lymph node metastasis and higher TNM stage. In conclusion, androgen receptor immunoreactivity remained stable during the process of metastasis, whereas androgen-metabolizing enzymes decreased. Although results of our study and previous reports imply additional roles of androgen metabolism in the metastasis process, especially conversion by 5α1, there may be divergence between its effects on primary tumor and those in metastatic lymph nodes.
AB - Summary Androgen receptor and androgen metabolizing enzymes, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5 (17βHSD5) and 5α-reductase1 (5α1), are frequently detected in primary tumor of breast cancer, but their status in metastatic lymph nodes has not been examined. The biological role of androgen in breast cancer and its metastatic process also remain unknown. In this study, we used immunohistochemistry to localize the expression of androgen receptor, 17βHSD5, and 5α1 in primary tumors and paired metastatic lymph nodes and correlated the findings with clinicopathologic factors of individual patients. Approximately 70% of primary tumors and paired metastatic lymph nodes expressed androgen receptor, with significant correlation between both lesions. However, 17βHSD5 and 5α1 immunoreactivity was decreased in metastatic lymph nodes. Alone or in tandem with androgen receptor, 5α1 was associated with significantly lower Ki-67 index, lower pathologic grade, and higher estrogen receptor positivity, but androgen receptor/5α1 double positivity in lymph nodes was associated with larger lymph node metastasis and higher TNM stage. In conclusion, androgen receptor immunoreactivity remained stable during the process of metastasis, whereas androgen-metabolizing enzymes decreased. Although results of our study and previous reports imply additional roles of androgen metabolism in the metastasis process, especially conversion by 5α1, there may be divergence between its effects on primary tumor and those in metastatic lymph nodes.
KW - Androgen
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Immunohistochemistry
KW - Lymph node
KW - Metastasis
KW - Steroid metabolism
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U2 - 10.1016/j.humpath.2013.04.021
DO - 10.1016/j.humpath.2013.04.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 23953348
AN - SCOPUS:84884415507
VL - 44
SP - 2338
EP - 2345
JO - Human Pathology
JF - Human Pathology
SN - 0046-8177
IS - 10
ER -