Stromal CD10 expression and relationship to the E‐cadherin/β‐catenin complex in breast carcinoma

Kim H‐S, Kim G Y, Kim Y W, Park Y‐K, Song J‐Y & Lim S‐J
(2010) Histopathology 56, 708–719
Stromal CD10 expression and relationship to the E‐cadherin/β‐catenin complex in breast carcinoma Aims: Previous investigations have indicated that stromal CD10 expression, and altered levels of both E‐cadherin and β‐catenin, are associated with the biological aggressiveness of human carcinoma. The aim was to evaluate stromal CD10 expression and the association of stromal CD10 with E‐cadherin and β‐catenin in breast carcinoma. Methods and results: The expression of CD10, E‐cadherin and β‐catenin was immunohistochemically analysed in tissue microarrays containing 104 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and 10 cases of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Stromal CD10 was detected in 49.5% (50/101) of the IDC. No immunoreactivity was identified in the stromal cells of normal breast, DCIS or intraductal components of IDC. Accumulation of the cytoplasmic β‐catenin was found in 87.0% (87/100) of the IDC. Stromal CD10 expression in IDC was significantly correlated with tumour size (P = 0.027), stage (P < 0.001) and histological grade (P = 0.006), the presence of nodal (P = 0.048) and distant (P = 0.015) metastases, oestrogen receptor‐negative status (P = 0.016), cytoplasmic β‐catenin accumulation (P = 0.031) and lower overall survival rate (P = 0.041). Conclusions: Stromal CD10 expression in IDC may constitute an important prognostic marker. Stromal CD10 expression with associated aggressive features might be related to aberrant β‐catenin expression.