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Angiogenin is up‐regulated in the nucleus and cytoplasm in human primary breast carcinoma and is associated with markers of hypoxia but not survival
Author(s) -
Campo Leticia,
Turley Helen,
Han Cheng,
Pezzella Francesco,
Gatter Kevin C,
Harris Adrian L,
Fox Stephen B
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/path.1740
Subject(s) - angiogenin , cancer research , breast cancer , carcinoma , biology , breast carcinoma , pathology , cancer , medicine , oncology , angiogenesis
Angiogenin, a 14.2 kD polypeptide that was originally noted for its angiogenic activity, is now increasingly recognized to have a multiplicity of biological roles in both physiological and pathological conditions. In breast cancer, there are conflicting studies questioning the role of angiogenin. Here, the pattern of expression of angiogenin during the transition from normal breast tissue to ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma is reported together with the correlates between the level of angiogenin in 239 invasive carcinomas and standard clinicopathological parameters, hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α and the HIF‐1α target gene DEC‐1. This study shows that angiogenin expression is up‐regulated in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments in in situ carcinoma and invasive carcinoma compared with normal breast tissue and that angiogenin expression in invasive carcinomas is significantly positively associated with high tumour grade ( p = 0.03), positive oestrogen receptor (ER) status ( p = 0.01), HIF‐1α ( p = 0.001) and DEC 1 ( p = 0.001), but not with patient age ( p = 0.8), tumour size ( p = 0.25), lymph node status ( p = 0.69), epidermal growth factor receptor ( p = 0.56) or microvessel density ( p = 0.32). No difference in relapse‐free ( p = 0.26) or overall ( p = 0.63) survival was observed in patients stratified by angiogenin expression. This study suggests that angiogenin may be important in breast cancer progression and that, through its relationship with ER, it may be a target for tamoxifen. Copyright © 2005 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.