Cells expression in murine breast carcinogenesis model

a histomorphometric study

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of death among female malignancies. Recent studies have shown that mast cells are linked to prognosis and histological grade. Mast cells are cells that participate in the immune system that contain numerous cytoplasmic granules. This study aimed to investigate mast cell histomorphometric parameters in a model of chemically induced DMBA-induced breast cancer in mice. Mixed mammary neoplasia (ductal carcinoma, papillary carcinoma and phyloid tumor) developed, with a well-differentiated histological grade. There was an increase in the number of mast cells in neoplastic lesions in relation to areas without lesion. Mast cells are distributed in clumps or in an Indian queue in the stromal areas adjacent to the epithelial regions and in the phyloid tumor. There were no medium or strong correlations of mast cell number with tumor volume, mitotic index, necrosis percentage and ductal component. It is concluded that DMBA carcinogenesis model develops mixed mammary tumors, with abundance in mast cells that is unrelated to prognostic variables, but possibly linked to the local neoplastic inflammatory process.