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Gatalica Z, Kuzmova N, Rose I, Ulamec M, Peric-Balja M, Skenderi F, Vranic S. The assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in invasive apocrine carcinoma of the breast in relation to the HER2 status. Biomol Biomed 2024; 24:256-261. [PMID: 37782562 PMCID: PMC10950344 DOI: 10.17305/bb.2023.9868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
In the current study, we assessed the prevalence and molecular features of HER2-low phenotype in the apocrine carcinomas of the breast (ApoCa) and its relationship with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). A cohort of 64 well-characterized therapy-naïve ApoCa was used. The TIL distribution was assessed using the hematoxylin and eosin whole slide/scanned images following the international TILs working group recommendations. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed in a subset of HER2-low ApoCa. All patients were women, with a mean age of 62 years. Forty-three carcinomas were pure apocrine carcinoma (PAC; ER-/AR+), and the remaining 21 were classified as apocrine-like carcinomas (ALCs; ER+/-, AR+/-). HER2/neu was positive (score 3+ by IHC and/or amplified by FISH) in 20/43 (47%) PAC and 4/21 (19%) ALC. The prevalence of HER2-low expression (scores 1+ or 2+ without HER2 amplification) in ApoCa was 39% without significant differences between PAC and ALC (P = 0.14); however, the HER2-low phenotype was more prevalent in triple-negative PAC than in ALC (P < 0.001). Levels of TILs were low (≤10%) in 74% of ApoCa (median 5%, range 0%-50%). TIL levels were significantly higher in ALC than in PAC (P = 0.02). HER2 status had no impact on TIL distribution (P = 0.45). The genomic profile of HER2-low ApoCa was similar to other subtypes of ApoCa. ApoCa has predominantly low TIL, particularly PAC. The prevalence of the HER2-low phenotype in ApoCa is high, which should have therapeutic and clinical implications given the recently approved therapies with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for HER2-low breast cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoran Gatalica
- Reference Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
- The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - Inga Rose
- Reference Medicine, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
| | - Monika Ulamec
- Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Pathology and Scientific Group for Research on Epigenetic Biomarkers, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Melita Peric-Balja
- Oncological Pathology Department, Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Faruk Skenderi
- Department of Pathology, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Gupta I, Ulamec M, Peric-Balja M, Ramic S, Al Moustafa AE, Vranic S, Al-Farsi HF. Presence of high-risk HPVs, EBV, and MMTV in human triple-negative breast cancer. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2021; 17:4457-4466. [PMID: 34623225 PMCID: PMC8828071 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2021.1975452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer, the most frequent disease amongst women worldwide, accounts for the highest cancer-related mortality rate. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype encompasses ~15% of all breast cancers and lack estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 receptors. Although risk factors for breast cancer are well-known, factors underpinning breast cancer onset and progression remain unknown. Recent studies suggest the plausible role of oncoviruses including human papillomaviruses (HPVs), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) in breast cancer pathogenesis. However, the role of these oncoviruses in TNBC is still unclear. In the current study, we explored the status of high-risk HPVs, EBV, and MMTV in a well-defined TNBC cohort from Croatia in comparison to 16 normal/non TNBC samples (controls) using polymerase chain reaction assay. We found high-risk HPVs and EBV present in 37/70 (53%) and 25/70 (36%) of the cases, respectively. The most common HPV types are 52, 45, 31, 58 and 68. We found 16% of the samples positive for co-presence of high-risk HPVs and EBV. Moreover, our data revealed that 5/70 (7%) samples are positive for MMTV. In addition, only 2/70 (3%) samples had co-presence of HPVs, EBV, and MMTV without any significant association with the clinicopathological variables. While, 6/16 (37.5%) controls were positive for HPV (p = .4), EBV was absent in all controls (0/16, 0%) (p = .01). In addition, we did not find the co-presence of the oncoviruses in the controls (p > .05). Nevertheless, further investigations are essential to understand the underlying mechanisms of multiple-oncogenic viruses' interaction in breast carcinogenesis, especially TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishita Gupta
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Center, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Monika Ulamec
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Pathology and Scientific Group for Research on Epigenetic Biomarkers, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Melita Peric-Balja
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Oncological Pathology Department, Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Snjezana Ramic
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Oncological Pathology Department, Ljudevit Jurak Clinical Department of Pathology and Cytology, Sestre Milosrdnice University Hospital Center, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical Research Center, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- CONTACT Ala-Eddin Al Moustafa College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, PO Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Semir Vranic
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Halema F. Al-Farsi
- College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, Qu Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Halema F. Al-Farsi College of Medicine, Qu Health, Qatar University, PO Box2713, Doha, Qatar
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