Apocrine epithelium of the breast: does it result from metaplasia? |
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Authors: | P Viacava Antonio Giuseppe Naccarato Generoso Bevilacqua |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Oncology, Division of Pathology, via Roma 57, I-56126 Pisa, Italy, Tel.: (+39) 90-992888 or 992982, Fax: (+39) 50-992706, IT |
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Abstract: | Benign and malignant breast lesions may show an apocrine epithelium considered to be the result of metaplasia. In an attempt
to clarify the histogenesis of the breast apocrine epithelium we searched for the presence of apocrine cells or cells with
apocrine differentiation during human breast development. We analysed 10 autopsy specimens of female breasts from fetuses
between 28 and 40 weeks of gestational age and tissue from 6 normal breasts, obtained after breast reduction in nulliparous
young women between 22 and 28 years of age. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections were stained with haematoxylin-eosin,
PAS-diastase and a monoclonal antibody (BRST-2) anti-GCDFP-15, which is a specific apocrine marker. A 40-week fetal breast
was analysed by electron microscopy. No cells with histological and ultrastructural apocrine features were found in the ducts
of fetal breasts. All fetal breasts showed some ducts with sparse GCDFP-15-immunoreactive cells; the number of these cells
increased with gestational age. PAS-diastase was negative. No cells with apocrine morphology were found in ducts and lobules
of normal adult breasts. Scattered GCDFP-15-positive luminal epithelial cells and rare PAS-diastase-positive cells were observed
in some lobules of all adult breasts. Cells with biochemical characteristics (GCDFP-15 expression) of apocrine differentiation
are evident during human fetal breast development and persist in adult mammary glands. Unknown stimuli may induce these cells
to take on an apocrine morphology. Apocrine epithelium of the breast may be a normal process of differentiation rather than
metaplasia. We suggest the term ”apocrine differentiation precursor cells” for GCDFP-15-positive breast epithelial cells with
no apocrine morphology.
Received: 14 February 1997 / Accepted: 12 April 1997 |
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Keywords: | Breast Fetal breast Apocrine differentiation GCDFP-15 |
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