MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ progenitor cells in normal, benign and malignant human breast epithelial cells

Xinquan Lü¹, Huixiang Li¹, Kejia Xu², Jahn M. Nesland³ and Zhenhe Suo<sup>3

1</sup>Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China, ²Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China and ³Division of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Faculty Division The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Offprint requests to: Huixiang Li, MD PhD, Department of Pathology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, the Tumor Pathology Key Laboratory of Henan Province, Zhengzhou, China. e-mail: huixiang19@yahoo.com.cn; or Zhenhe Suo, MD PhD, Division of Pathology, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Montebello, 0310 Oslo, Norway; Faculty Division The Norwegian Radium Hospital; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway. e-mail: zhenhes@medisin.uio.no


Summary. The existence of mammary epithelial stem/progenitor cells has been demonstrated in MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ subpopulations of breast epithelial cells. However, knowledge about the expression and localization in benign and malignant breast lesions is unknown. Using a double-staining immunohisto-chemistry method, we investigated MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells in 10 normal breast tissues, 49 cases with fibrocystic disease, 40 fibroadenomas, 36 invasive ductal carcinomas and the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and MDA-MB-468. In normal breast tissues MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells were mainly found in the suprabasal layer, but under the apical surface of the duct/alveolus. In the hyperplastic areas of fibrocystic disease, the number of this subpopulation of cells was higher than that in hypoplastic areas and in fibroadenomas. In invasive ductal carcinoma, the MMUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells were heterogeneously present in different carcinoma nests. In the MCF-7 cell line most cells were MUC-1^-/ESA⁺, and in the MDA-MB-468 cell line MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells and MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells were almost equal. Our results show that the MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ subpopulation increases in fibrocystic disease within the hyperplastic areas, and varies in benign and malignant breast tumours, indicating that breast carcinogenesis may develop from malignant changes of normal MUC-1^-/ESA⁺ cells. Histol Histopathol 24, 1381-1390 (2009)

Key words: Human mammary gland, Stem/progenitor cell, Immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.14670/HH-24.1381