Nuclear survivin expression in stromal cells of phyllodes tumors and fibroadenomas of the breast.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Survivin is expressed in the nucleus and/or cytoplasm of various types of malignant tumor cells. Nuclear survivin is indispensable for complete mitosis, while cytoplasmic survivin functions as an apoptosis inhibitor. We examined the difference in the survivin expression among stromal cells of fibroadenoma, and benign and malignant phyllodes tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Tumor sections were immunohistochemically stained with an anti-human survivin antibody and the labeling index of survivin was calculated.

RESULTS

In stromal cells of all tumors, survivin was expressed in the nuclei but not in the cytoplasm. The labeling indices of the stromal cells in five malignant phyllodes tumors (20.5±3.0) were significantly greater than those observed in eight fibroadenomas (1.9±0.6) or nine benign phyllodes tumors (3.0±0.9).

CONCLUSION

In the present study it was shown that stromal cells in malignant phyllodes tumors express nuclear survivin more extensively than stromal cells in benign phyllodes tumors or fibroadenomas.