AUTOMATED AND QUANTITATIVE IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL ASSAYS OF NM23 NDPK PROTEIN IN BREAST CARCINOMAS/

A series for Nm23-protein immunodetection was investigated in human br east carcinomas. Frozen sections were processed by automated immunoper oxidase procedure, and immunoprecipitates in positive tumors were quan tified by processing digitized microscopic images. Nm23 immunohistoche mical expression in tumors was correlated with clinicopathological dat a and with intra-tumoral proteins also detected by automated and quant itative immunohistochemistry. A positive Nm23 immunoreaction was obser ved in 58% of tumors, within cell cytoplasm, Nm23 expression was indep endent of the patient's age, and of tumor size, type and grade, but an inverse relationship was observed between Nm23 expression and axillar y-lymph-node metastasis. An inverse relationship was also observed bet ween Nm23 and P-53, CD-31, cathepsin D, tenascin and P-gp immunohistoc hemical expressions, But Nm23 expression was independent of c-erb-B pr oduct, growth fraction (MIB1/Ki67), and immunohistochemical expression of hormone receptors/P-S2. The results suggest that the anti-metastat ic nm23 gene may partly act upon the regulation of tumor-cell prolifer ation (correlation with P-53) and may have some effects on epithelial- cell/stroma interactions (regulation of extracellular-matrix protease and of angiogenesis) independently of hormone sensitivity, (C) 1997 Wi ley-Liss, Inc.