Immunohistochemical Expression of Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 (Timp-1) in Invasive Breast Carcinoma

Suada Kuskunović; Svjetlana Radović; Mirsad Dorić; Ajna Hukić; Mirsad Babić; Ivana Tomić; Ivan Selak

doi:10.17305/bjbms.2009.2831

Authors

Suada Kuskunović Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Svjetlana Radović Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Mirsad Dorić Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Ajna Hukić Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Mirsad Babić Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Ivana Tomić Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo
Ivan Selak Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2009.2831

Keywords:

breast carcinoma, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1, immunohistochemistry

Abstract

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) is a natural inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinas-es (MMPs). Aim of this study was to assess the immunohistochemical expression of TIMP-1 in invasive breast carcinomas, and to examine its association with classical clinico-pathological parameters, oestrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and Her-2/neu protein expression. Immuno-histochemistry was used to determine the expression of TIMP-1 on 38 paraffin-embedded breast tissue specimens - 18 with invasive ductal carcinoma, 10 with invasive lobular carcinoma, and 10 specimens from patients with fibrocystic breast disease. TIMP-1 protein was immunodetected in the carcinoma cells, fibroblasts and inflammatory cells of the stroma in 92,9%, 65,8%, and 65,8% of cases, respectively. TIMP-1 protein expression in carcinoma cells showed positive correlation with TIMP-1 protein expression in peritumoural fibroblasts (p=0,010). Positive peritumoural fibroblast TIMP-1 expression was associated with histological tumour type with higher frequency in ductal carcinomas (p=0,023). Negative association was found between TIMP-1 protein expression in carcinoma cells and HER-2/neu nuclear staining (p=0,005). TIMP-1 may be particularly useful as a predictive marker in breast carcinoma when evaluated along with HER-2/neu protein being a promising indicator of favourable prognosis in breast carcinoma.