The role of CD44v3 expression in female breast carcinomas.

CD44-protein and its isoforms are the multifunctional cell adhesion molecules participating in cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. In this study we estimated the frequency of CD44-expression as well as two of its variants (CD44v3 and CD44v5) in female breast cancer. Among 75 breast carcinomas studied, 23 (44.2%) presented strong membrane reaction with monoclonal antibody against antigen CD44. The immunocytochemical reaction to CD44v3 and CD44v5 were observed in 16 (21.3%) and 50 (66.75%) cases, respectively. The presence of CD44v3 antigen on the surface of breast cancer cells significantly correlated with ER expression (0.0430) and the lack of p53 protein (p=0.0252), and also with the percentage of T cells in the total population of lymphocytes infiltrating the primary tumor (TILs) (p=0.0248). What is more important, the reaction to CDv3 significantly correlated with the presence of metastases to the lymph nodes (p=0.0385).