LC3A-positive light microscopy detected patterns of autophagy and prognosis in operable breast carcinomas.

Sivridis, E; Koukourakis, M; Zois, C; Ledaki, I; Ferguson, D; Harris, A; Gatter, K; Giatromanolaki, A

Women's Health Collection

Journal article

LC3A-positive light microscopy detected patterns of autophagy and prognosis in operable breast carcinomas.

Abstract:: Autophagy is a self-degradation mechanism by which cells recycle their own cytoplasmic constituents and dispose of excess or defective organelles after starvation and oxygen deprivation. An antibody to the microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3A), recognizing both the soluble (LC3A-I) and the membrane-bound form (LC3A-II) of the protein, was used to detect autophagic activity in 102 breast carcinomas. Three distinct patterns were recognized: (1) diffuse cytoplasmic, (2) cytoplasmic/juxta-nuclear, and (3) "stone-like" pattern--dense, rounded, amorphous structures, 5 microm on average, typically enclosed within cytoplasmic vacuoles. The diffuse cytoplasmic pattern showed a direct association with estrogen and progesterone receptor expression. The juxta-nuclear pattern indicated a similar association with hormone receptors, an inverse association with tumor size, and a favorable prognosis. By contrast, an increased number of stone-like structures, probably representing an excessive autophagic response, was related to high-grade tumors and a less favorable outcome. Interestingly, 60 additional epithelial tumors of nonbreast origin disclosed identical autophagic patterns, and so did MDA231 breast cancer xenografts and HCT116 colon tumor spheroids (also analyzed by electron microscopy). Moreover, MCF-7 human breast cancer cell lines confirmed induction of LC3A by anoxia and Thapsigargin. It is concluded that autophagy can be readily recognized in breast carcinomas by light microscopy, after immunohistochemical staining with LC3A, but the significance of the various patterns expressed would need further evaluation.

Publication status:: Published

Actions

Email

Email this record

Send the bibliographic details of this record to your email address.

Your Email
Please enter the email address that the record information will be sent to.

-
Your message (optional)
Please add any additional information to be included within the email.
Share
Cite

Cite this record

APA Style

Sivridis, E., Koukourakis, M., Zois, C., Ledaki, I., Ferguson, D., Harris, A., Gatter, K., & Giatromanolaki, A. (2010). LC3A-positive light microscopy detected patterns of autophagy and prognosis in operable breast carcinomas. American Journal of Pathology, 176(5), 2477–2489.

MLA Style

Sivridis, E, et al. “LC3A-Positive Light Microscopy Detected Patterns of Autophagy and Prognosis in Operable Breast Carcinomas.” American Journal of Pathology, vol. 176, no. 5, 2010, pp. 2477–89.

Chicago Style

Sivridis, E, M Koukourakis, C Zois, et al. 2010. “LC3A-Positive Light Microscopy Detected Patterns of Autophagy and Prognosis in Operable Breast Carcinomas.” American Journal of Pathology 176 (5): 2477–89.
Print