LEA.135 expression: identifies low-risk patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ

The expression of a cell surface-associated sialoglycoprotein (LEA.135), which has been shown to be significantly associated with decreased incidence of recurrence and increased overall survival of patients with primary invasive breast carcinoma, was evaluated in a retrospective study to identify subsets of patients with breast ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) who are at high risk of subsequently developing invasive breast carcinoma. The study was carried out by an immuno-histochemical method on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 63 patients initially with DCIS. Pathological parameters such as DCIS histological type, nuclear grade, as well as time and type of recurrence (either a second DCIS or the diagnosis of locally invasive breast carcinoma) together with follow-up in years were available for the cohort of patients. A comparison of recurrence was made of patients whose tumor cells exhibited LEA.135 expression (24 +/- 8% recurring by 7 years), compared with those patients whose specimens showed the absence of LEA.135 expression (41 +/- 10% recurring by 7 years). A statistically significant univariant association between LEA.135 expression and the absence of recurrence of DCIS or development of locally invasive breast carcinoma was observed, suggesting a favorable prognostic significance of LEA. 135 expression (log-rank p = 0.032). It is worthy of mention that none of the LEA. 135-positive patients developed recurrence as DCIS or locally invasive breast carcinoma (0.24 +/- 0.08) after 5 years of the initial diagnosis of DCIS, whereas those from LEA. 135-negative progressively increased their recurrence at 5 years (0.30 +/- 0.09), 7 years (0.41 +/- 0.10) and 10 years (0.63 +/- 0.12). The results of this pilot study show that LEA.135 expression is significantly associated with a favorable prognosis of patients with DCIS, leading to a decreased incidence of recurrence.