Does thymidine phosphorylase correlate with angiogenesis in intraductal carcinoma of the breast?

OBJECTIVE To determine the association between thymidine phosphorylase (TP) and angiogenesis, and other conventional prognostic markers. We also evaluated interobserver and intraobserver reliability for TP expression in ductal carcinoma, to achieve a more consistent results. METHODS Our study included all cases diagnosed in Adnan Menderes University Medical Faculty Hospital, Aydin, Turkey as invasive ductal carcinoma or ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) with proven component of (>30%), between January 2003 and February 2005. The total number of the cases was 27 and their median age was 50 years. All sections were stained using monoclonal antibody-TP and examined at x40 magnification. Either nuclear or cytoplasmic staining was accepted as positive. The histoscore (H-score) was calculated for each specimen. The tumor stromal vascularity was assessed by monoclonal anti-CD34; and areas of intense vascularization were determined. Conventional immunohistochemical markers such as c-erb B2, Ki-67, estrogen and progesterone receptors and p53 were also applied to all slides. Three pathologists blindly examined each slide under 10 high-power fields (10 HPF) for 2 times in a 2 months period. RESULTS There was no significant association between stromal vascularity and TP staining of cancer cells (p=0.1) and no correlation was determined between H-scores for TP staining in ductal carcinoma and DCIS components (p=0.5). CONCLUSION There was no significant correlation noted between stromal and periductal vascularity with the anti-CD34 antibody was used. No significant correlation was identified between the TP H-score and stromal or periductal vascularity.