title: Expression of retinoblastoma protein in human breast cancer: an immunohistochemical study.
abstract: The product of the human retinoblastoma gene (pRb) is a nuclear phosphoprotein that is thought to function as a tumor suppressor. Heterogeneous expression of the Rb gene product contributes to the genesis of a diverse group of human neoplasma such as breast, prostate, small cell lung, bladder carcinomas and leukemia. The clinical importance of Rb function demands a reproducible Rb immunohistochemical assay to distinguish Rb+ from Rb- tumor cells. We report an immunohistochemical study to detect Rb protein in a series of 50 invasive breast cancers. Our results support the hypothesis that the Rb gene functions as both a cell growth factor and a tumor suppressor.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia e Istologia Patologica, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calzolari
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giannelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zampi
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D016161:Genes, Retinoblastoma; D006801:Humans; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein