Background: Stathmin is a highly conserved cytosolic phosphoprotein that destabilizes microtubules. Stathmin acts in vitro as a tubulin-sequestering protein, and its activity is dramatically reduced by phosphorylation. It has a profound influence on cell proliferation, differentiation, and cellular motility. Similarly, CD10, a cell surface zinc dependent endopeptidase expression in tumor stroma is associated with aggressiveness of many epithelial malignancies.

Aims: The aims of this study were to estimate the frequency of expression of epithelial Stathmin and stromal CD10 in invasive breast cancers, and to assess the significance of epithelial Stathmin and stromal CD10 expression and its correlation with known prognostic markers of breast cancer.

Materials and Methods: The study conducted over a period of 12 months included 32 cases of breast carcinoma. Stathmin expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry and scored under four categories. CD10 expression was scored as negative, weakly positive and strongly positive.

Result: Stathmin was found to be positive in 24/32 (75%) cases and CD10 was positive in stroma of 22/32 (68.75%) cases. Epithelial Stathmin expression showed positive correlation with tumor grade and stage, negative correlation with ER and PR. Stromal CD10 showed positive correlation with tumor grade, stage and Her2neu, and negative correlation with ER and PR.

Conclusion: Stathmin and CD10 correlated strongly with well-established negative prognostic markers thus indicating that they can be used independent markers of poor prognosis and can be used as potential targets for the development of therapies.

Keywords: Breast carcinoma, Stathmin, CD10, hormone receptors, stromal marker, poor prognosis

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Dr Niladri Sarkar

Department of Pathology, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital

1, Khudiram Bose Road, Kolkata- 700004, West Bengal, India

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