| Citation: |
Chang-qiu Wang, Xiao Cheng, Xiao Ge, Hong-rui Ding, Yan Li, An-huai Lu, 2025. Mineral component of mineralizations in different types of breast lesions and their correlation with diseases, China Geology, 8, 475-486. doi: 10.31035/cg20250062
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Mineral component of mineralizations in different types of breast lesions and their correlation with diseases
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Abstract
Pathological mineralizations in breast lesions are closely associated with disease progression and serves as a critical diagnostic indicator. However, systematic understanding remains lacking regarding the phase categories, distribution patterns, and proportional occurrences of mineral phases across different breast lesion types. The diagnostic implications of specific phases, such as calcium oxalate, for distinguishing benign and malignant lesions remain controversial. This study employed polarizing microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy to analyze the phase composition of 61 mineralized samples from three lesion types: Invasive carcinoma, carcinoma in situ and benign lesions. Results demonstrate that breast lesion mineralizations predominantly comprise calcium phosphates, including hydroxyapatite (HA), amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), and whitlockite, occasionally accompanied by calcium oxalate (monohydrate or dihydrate). Distinct distribution patterns and proportional occurrences of minerals were observed among the three types of lesion mineralizations. HA, as the predominant phase, was ubiquitously present across all three lesion categories. ACP, a mineralization precursor phase, emerged during early mineralization stages across all lesion types. Notably, whitlockite exclusively occurred in benign lesions and carcinoma in situ, with higher prevalence in benign cases, suggesting a progressive decline in Mg²⁺ concentration within the lesion microenvironment as malignancy advances. Calcium oxalate coexisted with HA in mineralized regions across all lesion types, and its presence in invasive carcinoma specimens warrants heightened clinical attention.
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References
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Chang-qiu Wang, Xiao Cheng, Xiao Ge, Hong-rui Ding, Yan Li, An-huai Lu, 2025. Mineral component of mineralizations in different types of breast lesions and their correlation with diseases, China Geology, 8, 475-486. doi: 10.31035/cg20250062
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Figure 1.
HE-stained sections showing mineralization in various types of breast lesions. a‒c‒invasive carcinoma; d‒f‒carcinoma in situ; g‒i‒benign lesions.
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Figure 2.
Polarized light micrographs of type I and II mineralization in breast carcinoma in situ sample YW-2. a, b‒histological images of type I calcium oxalate mineralization under plane-polarized and cross-polarized light, respectively. c, d‒histological images of type II calcium phosphate mineralization under plane-polarized and cross-polarized light, respectively.
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Figure 3.
ESEM backscattered electron images of breast lesion mineralization. a‒sheet-like mineralization within a ductal lumen; b‒collagen-associated spheroidal mineralization.
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Figure 4.
ESEM micrographs and EDX profiles of breast lesion mineralization.
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Figure 5.
ESEM morphology and EDX analysis of amorphous mineralization regions.
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Figure 6.
Polyhedral mineralization in breast lesions. a‒invasive carcinoma JR-8; b‒carcinoma in situ YW-7; c‒benign lesion LX-4.
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Figure 7.
TEM morphologies of breast lesion mineralization. a‒c‒invasive carcinoma; d‒f‒carcinoma in situ; g‒i‒benign lesions.
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Figure 8.
Lattice images and electron diffraction patterns of mineralization. a‒b‒invasive carcinoma; c‒d‒carcinoma in situ; e‒f‒benign lesions.
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Figure 9.
TEM morphology (a) and diffraction pattern (b) of benign lesion LX-4.
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Figure 10.
Indexing results of diffraction pattern.
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Figure 11.
Sub-50 nm mineralization spheres. a‒overview morphology; b‒high-resolution image; c‒diffraction pattern from yellow-dashed region.
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Figure 12.
Infrared spectra of three types of breast lesions: samples JR-1, YW-1, and LX-1 (1#).
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Figure 13.
Infrared spectrum of ductal carcinoma in situ sample YW-2 (2#).
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Figure 14.
Raman spectra of three types of breast lesion samples (1# JR-1, YW-1, and LX-1).
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Figure 15.
Micro-Raman analysis of ductal carcinoma in situ sample YW-7. Left: Mineralization morphology under 50× objective lens. a‒spherical mineralization; b‒mixed area; c‒blocky mineralization; Right: Corresponding Raman spectra of locations a, b, and c.
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Figure 16.
Polarized light microscopy and Raman spectroscopic analysis of invasive breast carcinoma sample JR-8. a‒histological image of type I mineralization under single-polarized light; b‒extinction phenomenon of type I mineralization under cross-polarized light; c‒Raman spectrum of type I mineralization.