672 Hyaluronidate receptor CD44 and isoforms in human breast cancer

In human breast carcinomas, hyaluronidate receptor CD44 (CD44s) and isofonns generated by alternative splicing of primary RNA (CD44v), especially, those containing exon 6v (CD44-6v) have been discussed to be involved in processes of tumor progression and metastasis. On microwave pretreated paraffin embedded material, 220 cases of invasive carcinomas including 80 lymph node metastasis were analyzed immunohistologically for the expression of CD44s, CD44-9v; −6v; −5v and −3v. Data were compared to classical prognostic factors, to tumor growth patterns, to hormone receptor status as well as to Kaplan-Meier-Survival functions [mean observation: 104 mo.]. Obviously, the occurrence of CD44 isoforms correlates among each other ( P