DOES PERITUMORAL LYVE-1 IMMUNOREACTIVITY PREDICT THE SENTINEL LYMPH NODE METASTASIS?

LYVE-1 is a -recently identified- selective lymphatic endothelial surface receptor which plays mainly role on transportation of hyaluronan from extracellular matrix to the regional lymph nodes. In a few cancer studies, relationships between LYVE-1/Hyaluronan and lymphatic invasion and metastasis has been shown. However, predictive values of peritumoral or intratumoral LYVE-1 positivity for the assesment of regional lymphatic invasion is unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate whether the peri/intratumoral LYVE-1 immunoreactivity related to sentinel lymph node status in 25 breast-cancer-patients. Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy was performed by using combined technique with vital blue dye and hand-held gamma probe dedection in patients with early breast cancer. Lymphoscintigraphy was performed in all patients. Metastases to sentinel lymph nodes was evaluated both Hematoxylene/Eosine (HE) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. Serial sections which contain both invasive tumor and peri-tumoral area from the original block were cut (4 um) and stained with HE and LYVE-1. "LYVE1 antibody-lymphatic vessel marker" was used for IHC analysis. The sensitivity and specifity of the method were established as 67% and 71% respectively. The LYVE-1 positivity was mostly peritumoral (85 %) Negative and positive predictive values of LYVE-1 immunostaining were 77% and 60% respectively. On conlusion, as a novel lymphangiogenesis marker LYVE-1, has limited predictive values for the evaluation of sentinel lymph node metastasis in patients with early breast cancer