Redox status in the sentinel lymph node of women with breast cancer

Abstract

Background: Lymphatic metastasis is regulated in multiple steps including the transit of tumor cells via the lymphatic vessels and the successful seeding in draining lymph nodes. Thus, several molecular signals and cellular changes must be involved in this complex process to facilitate tumor cell entry, colonization, and survival in the lymph node. To our knowledge, the present work explores, for the first time in the literature, the redox status (oxidative stress parameters and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense systems) in the sentinel lymph node (SLN) of women with breast cancer.

Patients and methods: SLNs from 75 women with breast cancer were identified using the one-step nucleic acid amplification (OSNA) method as negative (n = 43), with micrometastases (n = 13), or with macrometastases (n = 19). It will allow us to gain knowledge about the pro-oxidant/antioxidant mechanisms involved in the processes of distant metastases in breast cancer and also to assess whether these parameters may be alternative techniques for staging.

Results: We found different levels of lipid peroxidation in SLNs with micrometastases (increased) and macrometastases (decreased), a decrease in carbonyl group content in SLNs with macrometastases only, and an increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in SNLs with micrometastases and macrometastases. A decrease in the levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) also appears in the SLNs with macrometastases only. Finally, we show increased levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity in SLNs with micrometastases and macrometastases, and decreased levels of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in SNLs with macrometastases but not with micrometastases.

Conclusions: Redox status of lymph node microenvironment participates in the progression of metastatic breast cancer.

Keywords:

• Breast cancer
• catalase
• glutathione peroxidase
• GSH
• OSNA
• sentinel lymph node
• superoxide dismutase
• total antioxidant capacity

Disclosure statement

No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

Notes on contributors

María Jesús Ramírez-Expósito is Associate Professor at the Department of Health Sciences of University of Jaén.

Nieves Urbano-Polo is a Ph.D. student in the Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group.

Basilio Dueñas is Surgeon at the Unit of Breast Pathology at the Jaén Hospital Complex.

Joaquín Navarro-Cecilia is Surgeon at the Unit of Breast Pathology at Jaén Hospital Complex.

Cesar Ramírez-Tortosa is the Head of the Pathology Unit at the Jaén Hospital Complex.

María Dolores Martín-Salvago is Senior Consultant of Pathology at the Jaén Hospital Complex.

José Manuel Martínez-Martos is Associate Professor at the Department of Health Sciences of University of Jaén. He is also the Head of the Experimental and Clinical Physiopathology Research Group.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Junta de Andalucía through PAIDI CTS-1039 [formerly BIO-296].