Purpose: BNIP3 is involved in cell death and cell survival via autophagy. Its perinecrotic localization within ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) suggests an involvement in neoplastic cellular adaptation to low oxygen tension. This study has investigated the role of BNIP3 in normal and neoplastic breast. Experimental Design:Whole sections from11normal breast and microarrayed tissue cores from 81 DCIS and 251 invasive carcinomas were stained for BNIP3 and hypoxia-inducible factor-1a. The pattern

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... level of BNIP3 expression were correlated with clinicopathologic variables and hypoxia-inducible factor-1a. Results: BNIP3 expression was significantly up-regulated in the cytoplasm of DCIS and invasive carcinoma compared with normal breast (P = 0.0005 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Nuclear