Glycodelin expression in correlation to grading, nodal involvement and steroid receptor expression in human breast cancer patients.

Background: Glycodelin (Gd) is an endometrially secreted glycoprotein, found in high quantities during early pregnancy. It shapes local immune responses in order to allow implantation and invasion of the semiallogeneic blastocyst into the maternal endometrium. It exists in various glycosylation isoforms, that influence their staining behaviour.

Materials And Methods: A polyclonal anti-Gd IgG-antibody specific for the core amino acid sequence of Gd was used to stain 121 paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue blocks. We correlated Gd expression to known prognostic markers such as grading, nodal involvement and steroid-receptor positivity.

Results: Gd was expressed in invasive lobular and ductal breast cancer and its expression was significantly reduced upon dedifferentiation. A non significant increase in Gd staining intensity was noted upon axillary lymph node involvement steroid receptor positivity.

Conclusion: These results indicate that Gd may be useful as an additional marker for the differentiation of breast cancer tissue, yet indicating an increased tendency towards lymph node metastasis.