title: Expression of p21 ras gene products in breast cancer relates to histological types and to receptor and nodal status.
abstract: Expression of the p21 product of the ras gene family was investigated in a series of 142 infiltrating primary breast tumors by two specific ras p21 monoclonal antibodies with an immunocytochemical technique. The majority of tumors demonstrated a varying number of positive cells. A significant association between p21 expression and tumor histotype was found: among ductal carcinomas the comedo variety was always positive; conversely, lobular tumors were more frequently negative. Nodal status was recorded for all patients. A significant difference was found in nodal status with respect to p21 expression: tumors with more than 50% positive cells were more often N+. Estrogen receptor (ER) status was determined in 77 tumors. Tumors with higher levels of p21 contained a high percentage of estrogen receptor positive cells. The present results show that p21 expression in human breast cancer could be a marker of tumor aggressiveness and might thus improve the predictive power of known prognostic factors such as estrogen receptor and nodal status.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Università di Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Querzoli
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bagni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nenci
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)