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Distribution of Oncofetal Fibronectin in Human Mammary Tumors: Immunofluorescence Study on Histological Sections¹

Laboratoire d'Anatomie Pathologique, CNRS, Centre Technique pour le soutien de la Recherche sur le Cancer, B.P. 3, 94801 Villejuif Cedex, France [B. L-R., C. C.]; Laboratoire d'Anatomie Pathologique, Institut Curie, 26 rue d'Ulm, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France [P. V.]; The Biomembrane Institute and Department of Immunogenetics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98119 [H. M., H. C.]; and Laboratoire d'Immunochimie, CNRS, B.P. 3, 94801 Villejuif Cedex, France [P. B.]

Two types of human fibronectin have been detected by the reactivity of specific monoclonal antibody FDC-6: (a) those present in normal plasma and adult tissues, which do not react with FDC-6 (normal fibronectin or norFN); and (b) those present in fetal tissues and in tumoral cell lines, which do react with FDC-6 (oncofetal fibronectin or onfFN) (H. Matsuura and S. I. Hakomori, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82: 6517–6521, 1985).

We compared the distribution of norFN and onfFN in normal breast tissue (15 samples), breast fibroadenoma (ten samples), and breast adenocarcinoma (80 samples), using an immunofluorescence technique with monoclonal antibody FDC-6. A polyclonal antiserum against human normal fibronectin was used as a control. While norFN was diffusely present in normal gland and in benign and malignant tumors, onfFN was absent in normal gland and in benign tumors. In carcinomas, however, its presence was frequent, as we found it in 60% of cases. Among classical prognosis factors in breast carcinomas, onfFN distribution was significantly correlated with histological grade. Indeed, the presence of FDC-6 labeling was significantly linked with intermediary and high malignancy grades, while its absence was significantly linked with low malignancy grade.

onfFN could be considered a marker of the neoplastic state; its immunohistological detection may represent a new prognosis factor in breast carcinomas.

¹ This work was partially supported by Outstanding Investigator Grant CA42505 from the NIH (to S. Hakomori) and by funds from the Biomembrane Institute.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 5/ 8/89. Revised 10/30/89. Accepted 11/ 7/89.

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