Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42010032›Full record

ArticleDiscover oncology2026

Descriptive study of stromal expression of CD73 in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast.

Xavier Catteau, Jean-Christophe Noël, Jennifer Fallas, Manon Charry, Zoé Denis, Alex De Caluwé, John Stagg, Christos Sotiriou, Laurence Buisseret

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Discover oncology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Xavier CatteauLaboratoire CurePath (CHIREC- Brussels, CHU Tivoli-La Louvière), Rue de Borfilet 12A, Charleroi, 6040, Belgium. xavier.catteau06@gmail.com.
Jean-Christophe NoëlLaboratoire CurePath (CHIREC- Brussels, CHU Tivoli-La Louvière), Rue de Borfilet 12A, Charleroi, 6040, Belgium.
Jennifer FallasLaboratoire CurePath (CHIREC- Brussels, CHU Tivoli-La Louvière), Rue de Borfilet 12A, Charleroi, 6040, Belgium.
Manon CharryLaboratoire CurePath (CHIREC- Brussels, CHU Tivoli-La Louvière), Rue de Borfilet 12A, Charleroi, 6040, Belgium.
Zoé DenisBreast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J.-C. Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Alex De CaluwéRadiotherapy Department, Institut Jules Bordet, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
John StaggCentre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l', Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Christos SotiriouBreast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J.-C. Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.
Laurence BuisseretBreast Cancer Translational Research Laboratory J.-C. Heuson, Institut Jules Bordet, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) could act as a source of resistance to anti-tumor immune response. CD73 is an ectoenzyme that promotes tumour immune escape by producing immunosuppressive extracellular adenosine in the tumour microenvironment. In addition, CD73 is an adhesion molecule binding to other cells and extracellular matrix and facilitates cell motility. Nevertheless, CD73 functions in CAFs remain poorly investigated. Furthermore, it has never been studied in the stroma around lesions of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We performed this study to determine the expression of CD73 in the stroma of DCIS.

methodsThe present retrospective study included 28 cases of pure DCIS (not associated with an invasive component). For each case of DCIS, all the foci were graded and analysed separately, representing a total of 450 foci of DCIS. The immunoreactivity of CD73 was assessed semi-quantitatively. The percentage of stromal cells expressing each antigen was graded as score 0, score 1, score 2, and score 3 when up to 5%, more than 5%, and up to 25%, more than 25%, and up to 50% or more than 50% of stromal cells, disclosed immunoreactivity, respectively.

resultsAn association was observed between DCIS grade and stromal CD73 expression; however, given the clustered nature of the data, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory. CD73 expression was more frequent in intermediate and high-grade lesions than in low-grade lesions (p < 0.001). When necrosis was present, CD73 expression was higher than in lesions without necrosis in the case of intermediate grade (p < 0.01) but not in the case of high grade.

conclusionsThis study, to our knowledge, is the first to demonstrate CD73 expression around ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We found a statistically significant difference in the stromal expression of CD73 based on the grade of DCIS. Additionally, there is a link between necrosis and intermediate-grade lesions, but not with high-grade lesions. These findings need further confirmation, as our analysis was limited to only 28 cases. Future research could explore the role of chemoprevention using anti-CD73 agents to potentially prevent the progression of DCIS to invasive breast cancer, which may be beneficial for patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo surgery.

Indexed as

AdenosineCarcinoma-associated fibroblastsCD73Ductal carcinoma in situImmune MicroenvironmentNecrosisNeoplasm InvasivenessStroma

Identifiers

PMID42010032
PMCPMC13230464

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.