Breast Cancer Stem Cells – Diagnostic and Prognostic Significance

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of CSCs cell population in human breast cancer. Tissue samples from primary and recurrent invasive ductal breast carcinomas, regional lymph nodes (metastatic and non-metastatic), distant bone metastases, as well as cells from permanent breast carcinoma cell lines (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) and a normal mammary tissue cell line (MCF10) were included in the study. Tumour stem cells were identified immunohistochemically by the markers CD24, CD44 and ALDH1. The results of this study showed an increased population of tumour stem cells with high expression of CD44 and ALDH1 in invasive ductal carcinomas with metastatic regional lymph node and distant metastasis. Determination of the expression of markers characterizing the stem cell phenotype in breast cancer -- CD44, CD24 and ALDH1 early in the diagnostic process would be of high informative value regarding the biological behaviour of the tumour, in particular to assess its metastatic potential.