Immunohistochemical localization of gross cystic disease fluid protein‐15, ‐24 and ‐44 in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast: relationship to the degree of differentiation

Abstract

AIMS: Three major proteins present in breast gross cystic disease fluid and expressed by the cyst lining apocrine epithelium are gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 (GCDFP-15), apolipoprotein-D (APO-D; GCDFP-24) and zinc alpha2-glycoprotein (ZnGP; GCDFP-44). The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of these proteins in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast and to relate their expression with the degree of differentiation of DCIS. METHODS AND RESULTS: An immunohistochemical study of these proteins was performed in 57 cases of DCIS and nine cases of morphologically apocrine DCIS. Positivity was seen in 24/57 (42.1%) cases with anti-GCDFP-15, 20/57 (35.1%) cases with anti-GCDFP-24 and 22/57 (38.6%) cases with anti-GCDFP-44. GCDFP-15 positivity was noted in 5/13 (38.5%) of the well-differentiated, 11/19 (57.9%) intermediately differentiated and 8/25 (32.0%) of the poorly differentiated cases (P=0.217). GCDFP-24 positivity was seen in 3/13 (23.0%) well-differentiated, 9/19 (47.4%) intermediately differentiated and 8/25 (32.0%) poorly differentiated cases (P=0.336). GCDFP-44 was detected in 5/13 (38.5%) of well-differentiated cases, 11/19 (57.9%) intermediately differentiated and 6/25 (24.0%) poorly differentiated cases (P=0.074). In the nine cases of apocrine DCIS, GCDFP-15 positivity was detected in seven (77.8%), while five (55.6%) and six (66.7%) cases were positive for GCDFP-24 and GCDFP-44, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that there is no significant association between the expression of the studied proteins and the degree of differentiation of DCIS of the breast. Moreover, some morphologically apocrine DCIS cases appear to lose expression of these proteins.