Tenascin - A marker for the malignant potential of preinvasive breast cancers

Objective. Up to now, the mechanisms responsible for progression from nonin vasive to invasive breast cancer have remained obscure. Tenascin is an extr acellular matrix glycoprotein, present in embryonal and fetal tissues, whic h is also found in the stroma of various benign and malignant pathologies. We studied the expression and immunohistochemical behavior of tenascin in s pecimens of invasive and preinvasive breast cancer in order to assess its p otential role as a marker for tumor invasion. Materials and methods. Sixty-eight specimens including 29 noninvasive ducta l cancers, 12 invasive ductal cancers, 5 adenoses, 7 fibroadenomas, and 15 samples of normal human breast tissue were evaluated. An immunofluorescent microscopic technique was used for analysis of the localization and distrib ution of tenascin. Paraffin-embedded biopsies were incubated with primary m onoclonal anti-tenascin antibodies (1:25, Dako-tenascin, TN2). Subsequently , trimethylrhodamine-isothiocyanate-conjugated secondary antibodies (rabbit anti-mouse immunglobulins (Dakopatts, Denmark) were added to visualize the protein. Results. A significant tenascin expression was observed around the ducts in all samples of patients with preinvasive breast cancers. Intensive stainin g was also found in the periductal stroma of all specimens of patients with invasive breast cancers. Benign breast lesions showed weaker reactivity. N o tenascin expression was detectable in normal human breasts, while tissue samples of in situ cancers presented variable staining intensities positive ly correlating with the degree of differentiation. Conclusion. Tenascin immunofluorescence may prove a suitable and helpful ad junct for diagnosing malignant disease and for predicting the invasive pote ntial of premalignant breast lesions. (C) 2000 Academic Press.