雄激素受体（AR）可以作为新的治疗靶点，因为它被证明在几种乳腺癌（BC）亚型中发挥增殖作用。此外，AR 阳性被认为反映了某些 BC 亚型中肿瘤细胞的转移潜力。本研究的目的是确定播散性肿瘤细胞 (DTC) 上的 AR 表达，作为微小残留病 (MRD) 的替代标志物和早期 BC 转移的潜在前兆。从 62 个 DTC 阳性早期细胞中抽取骨髓 (BM) BC 患者被纳入本研究，并通过免疫荧光染色分析 AR 阳性 DTC 的存在。含有完整细胞核（DAPI 阳性）的 CK 阳性、CD45 阴性细胞被鉴定为 DTC。通过免疫组织化学对来自核心活检和手术标本的福尔马林固定石蜡包埋 (FFPE) 肿瘤切片评估原发肿瘤 (PT) 的 AR 表达。可以确定 21 名患者的 DTC 的 AR 状态。我们在 9 个样本 (43%) 中检测到 AR 阳性 DTC。 DTC 的 AR 表达与相应的 PT 的一致率为 33%。 DTC-AR 状态与临床病理因素无关，我们也没有观察到 PT 的 AR 状态与 BC 的其他既定预后因素之间存在显着相关性。AR 阳性 DTC 可以在早期 BC 患者的 BM 中检测到，且具有显着的特征。 DTC 和相应 PT 之间的 AR 状态不一致。这些发现的临床意义需要进一步研究。© 2023。作者。

Androgen receptor (AR) can serve as a new therapeutic target since it was shown to play a proliferative role in several breast cancer (BC) subtypes. Moreover, AR positivity has been suggested to reflect the metastatic potential of tumor cells in some BC subtypes. The aim of this study was to determine the AR expression on disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) as a surrogate marker of minimal residual disease (MRD) and potential precursor of metastasis in early BC.Bone marrow (BM) aspirates from 62 DTC-positive early BC patients were included into this study and analyzed by immunofluorescence staining for the presence of AR-positive DTCs. CK-positive, CD45-negative cells containing an intact nucleus (DAPI positive) were identified as DTCs. AR expression of the primary tumor (PT) was assessed by immunohistochemistry on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor sections from core biopsies and surgical specimens.AR status of DTCs could be determined in 21 patients. We detected AR-positive DTCs in nine samples (43%). AR expression of DTCs and corresponding PT showed a concordance rate of 33%. The DTC-AR status did not correlate with clinicopathological factors, nor did we observe a significant correlation between the AR status of the PT and other established prognostic factors for BC.AR-positive DTCs can be detected in BM of early BC patients with a marked discordance of the AR status between DTCs and corresponding PTs. The clinical significance of these findings needs further investigation.© 2023. The Author(s).