Expression of p73 gene, cell proliferation and apoptosis in breast cancer: Immunohistochemical and clinicopathological study

Oncol Rep. 2002 Jul-Aug;9(4):729-35.

Abstract

p73 is a member of p53 tumor suppressor protein family. In spite of similarities of three meaningful domains between p53 and p73, the exact function of p73 protein is not established. To approach the relevance of p73 expression to a pathological parameter in human breast cancer, the apoptotic index (AI) and the mitotic index (MI) were examined for 75 patients with the breast cancer after mastectomies. We found that both of the AI and MI in p73-positive cases were significantly higher compared to the p73-negative cases, suggesting that the p73-positive cases in the breast cancer were in advanced grade. In six cases of breast cancer with distant metastasis, however, the p73 expression was slight and showing low AI but high MI. Advanced breast cancer with distant metastasis seemed to lose the p73 expression and gain the function of evading apoptosis. Altogether, these data demonstrate that p73 expression is well correlated with AI in breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism*
  • Adenocarcinoma / secondary
  • Adult
  • Apoptosis*
  • Breast / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism*
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / surgery
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cell Division
  • DNA Primers / chemistry
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • DNA-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Genes, Tumor Suppressor
  • Humans
  • Immunoenzyme Techniques
  • Ki-67 Antigen / metabolism
  • Lymphatic Metastasis
  • Mastectomy
  • Middle Aged
  • Mitotic Index
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Precipitin Tests
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Tumor Protein p73
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Ki-67 Antigen
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • TP73 protein, human
  • Tumor Protein p73
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins