Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that not only varies greatly between different patients but also even within each individual tumor . Nestin, a type VI intermediate filament expressed mainly in neural progenitor cells. Nestin expression has also been detected in BC stem cells and newly-formed tumor vessels, being a factor in promoting invasion and metastasis.
We aimed clarify its pathological role in breast carcinoma and implications of this role
Methods: a cross-sectional study includes a comprehensive sample of 40 paraffin embedded tissue blocks from patients with breast cancer lesions . Samples are stained by routine (Hematosyline and Eosin stain) then stained by a mouse anti-human polyclonal Nestin antibody.
Results: Immuohistochemical examination showed that Nestin was located in
cytoplasm of tumor cells . Positive Nestin expression was found in 35.5 % of studied cases and distributed as 30.8% in ductal carcinoma in situ cases and 69.2% of infiltrating duct carcinoma .Statistically significant relation (P=0.008) was found between Nestin expression ad tumor grades with highest expression was observed in GIII . Comparing Triple negative breast cancer and non TNBC cases as regarding Nestin expression there was a significant relation (P=0.04) .
In conclusion: Nestin may have a role in breast cancer development as it was expressed in DCIS as well as IDC. Nestin expression is related with tumor grading suggesting that Nestin may be involved in breast carcinoma progression. relation between Nestin expression and triple negative status indicating that Nestin is expressed in breast cancers with highly aggressive potency