Immunohistochemical Expression of C-Erb-B2, Steroid Receptors and Cathepsin-D in Breast Carcinomas: A Clinicopathologic Trial

Authors: HADİCE ELİF PEŞTERELİ, OKAN ERDOĞAN, BAHAR KILIÇARSLAN, TANER ÇOLAK, EVREN TERCAN, MUSTAFA AKAYDIN, ŞEYDA KARAVELİ

Abstract: Aim: We investigated the role of c-erb-B2, hormone receptors and cathepsin D in breast carcinoma progression and their correlation with each other. Methods: Forty-six breast carcinoma patients, operated on in the deparment of surgery and diagnosed in the pathology department, were classified according to their histopathological characteristics; the results of immunostaining with estrogen and progesterone receptors, c-erb-B2 and cathepsin-D were correlated with the stage and the disease-free survival of the patients. Results: Nuclear positivity was observed in 23 (50 %) cases for estrogen receptor and in 16 (34.8 %) cases for progesterone receptor. There was membranous staining with c-erb-B2 in 37 (80.4 %) cases and cytoplasmic staining with cathepsin-D in 44 (95.6 %) cases. Cathepsin-D positivity was significantly related to the axillary lymph node metastases (p<0.001). A positive correlation was observed between c-erb-B2 and cathepsin-D positivity and also between estrogen and progesterone receptors (r=0.45, p<0.001). Conclusion: The results of this study revealed a high incidence of c-erb-B2 oncogene overexpression in breast carcinomas from Turkish mediterranean women. Cathepsin-D positivity of the tumor cells was correlated with the lymph node metastases. Only estrogen receptor positivity was correlated with the stage of the tumour (p=0.02071).

Keywords: Breast carcioma, cathepsin-D, c-erb-B2

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