Int J Oncol. 1995 Aug;7(2):343-7. doi: 10.3892/ijo.7.2.343.

P53 and C-erbb-2 alterations in in-situ and invasive ductal breast carcinomas - a genetic and immunohistochemical analysis.

International journal of oncology

A Marchetti, F Buttitta, S Pellegrini, D Campani, D Cecchetti, M Bistocchi

PMID: 21552845 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.7.2.343

Abstract

p53 mutations, c-erbB-2 amplifications and expression of the related proteins were evaluated in a panel of ductal breast carcinomas selected on the basis of their invasive component. The tumors comprised: 8 ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS); 8 carcinomas with a minimal (less than 20%) invasive component, hereafter referred to as DCIC (<20%); 13 carcinomas with 20%-50% invasiveness, DCIC (20-50%), and 48 infiltrating carcinomas with more than 50% invasive component, DCIC (>50%). Tumors were further subdivided into large pleomorphic cell type or small regular cell type. A strong association was present between p53 gene mutations and p53 protein overexpression (p<0.001) as well as between amplification of the c-erbB-2 gene and expression of its protein product (p=0.006). p53 aberrations (gene mutation and/or protein overexpression) were observed in 1 (12%) of 8 DCIS, 1 (11%) of 9 DCIC (<20%), 3 (23%) of 13 DCIC (20%-50%), and 13 (28%) of 47 DCIC (>50%). Amplification and/or overexpression of c-erbB-2 were found in 30 (39%) of the 77 breast carcinomas analyzed and were more frequent in DCIC (<20%) and in DCIC (20%-50%) (56% and 46% respectively) than in DCIS or DCIC (>50%) (12% and 38% respectively). Irrespective of the presence of invasion, tumors with p53 or c-erbB-2 alterations showed more frequently large cells with pleomorphic nuclei, (for p53, p=0.027; for c-erbB-2, p=0.014). Our data suggest that p53 and c-erbB-2 alerations may occur in the earliest recognized phase of breast cancer and may be important in the evolution of small cell to large cell mammary carcinoma during tumor progression.

Publication Types

• Journal Article