OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the expression of aromatase in simultaneously invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). METHODS: forty-five surgical samples were obtained from mastectomy and quadrantectomy with simultaneous IDC and DCIS of stage I and II patients. Aromatase was evaluated using antibodies anti-aromatase and the samples classified in accordance with the number and intensity of stained cells. RESULTS: Aromatase was expressed positively in 32(71%) and negatively in 13(29%) of the cases in the IDC. The same results were obtained in the DCIS showing a perfect positive correlation. In the normal epithelium,aromatase was positive in 19(42.2%) and negative in 26 (57.8%) and a positive correlation, statistically significant was obtained when compared with IDC and DCIS(p<0.01). Concerning the normal stroma, positivity was only 7 (15.5%) showing no correlation with aromatase expression. Aromatase was positive in 36(80%) of the tumor stroma and this result was statistically significant as in the IDC and DCIS. Comparing results of aromatase expression with nuclear grade, histological grade, tumor size and age no difference was found. CONCLUSION: our results demonstrated high correlation between aromatase expression in IDC, DCIS, normal epithelium and tumor stroma showing a possible autocrine and paracrine mechanism of this enzyme in breast cancer.
Aromatase; Breast neoplasms; Ductal carcinoma; In situ carcinoma
