Figure 7
From: Cell-extrinsic consequences of epithelial stress: activation of protumorigenic tissue phenotypes
Activin A in ductal carcinoma in situ is associated with reduced telomeres and desmoplastic-like phenotypes. γH2AX, an indicator of DNA damage, activin A, COX-2, αSMA, and CD31 protein levels were assessed with immunohistochemistry (IHC) on serial sections of each DCIS lesion. Telomere signal (red) and centromere signal (green; internal control) in epithelial cells were compared with those in the adjacent stroma. Nuclei: DAPI (blue). Lesions were divided into two groups based on staining intensity for each protein and relative amounts of telomere signal (high or low) and of immune infiltrate (from H&E, high or low). (A) Stress-elicited extrinsic phenotype (SEEP) Inactive. Top row: serial sections of a representative DCIS lesion (10×) with high telomere-FISH signal, low expression of γH2AX, activin A, COX-2, αSMA, and CD31 proteins, and low immune infiltrate. Bottom row: 20× (IHC) or 63×-zoom (telomere-FISH) micrographs of the indicated regions shown in the top-row insets. (B) SEEP Active. Top row: serial sections of a representative DCIS lesion (10×) with low telomere-FISH signal, high expression of γH2AX, activin A, COX-2, αSMA, and CD31 proteins and high immune infiltrate. Bottom row: 20× (IHC) or 63×-zoom (telomere-FISH) micrographs of the indicated regions shown in the top-row insets.