Contents - Medicinski Fakultet u Sarajevu - University of Sarajevo

Oral presentationINTRATUMOURAL LYMPHATIC DENSITY CORELLATES WITHPROGESTERONE EXPRESSION IN BREAST CARCINOMAMirsad Dorić * , Svjetlana Radović, Mirsad Babić, Suada Kuskunović,Ajna Hukić, Ivana Tomić, Ivan SelakInstitute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine,University of Sarajevo,Čekaluša 90, 71000 Sarajevo,Bosnia and HerzegovinaE-mail: mdoric@lsinter.netBackground: Controversy exists regarding the topographyof lymph vessels in breast cancer, their usefulnessas prognostic factors and whether active lymphangiogenesisoccurs within the tumor. Goal was investigateto presence intratumoral lymphatic vessels, existence oflymphangiogenesis and their role in tumor dissemination.Materials and methods: We investigated lymphaticvessels in 75 specimens of invasive breast carcinoma byimmunostaining for D2 40. Distribution and density oflymphatics were assessed intratumoral and peritumoraland correlated with clinicopathological parameters.Endothelial proliferation in lymphatic vessels was analyzedby dual-color immunohistochemistry with D2 40and Ki 67 respectively.Results: We demonstrated existence of intratumorallymphatic vessels whose density compared to peritumoralones is significantly lower (p=0, 0001). Decreaseof intra and peritumoral lymphatic vessels density(LVD) compared to fibrocystic breast disease was observed(p=0,002). Density of intratumoral lymphaticvessels correlated with amount of progesterone receptorsin primary tumor (p=0,036). Intratumoral lymphangiogenesiswas absent or minimal.Conclusion: High intratumoral LVD is a demonstratorof low destructive potential and vice versa, and role oflymphatics in tumor progression is passive.Key words: intratumoral lymphatic density, breast carcinoma,lymphangiogenesis, progesterone15