title: Value of c-erbB-2 and p53 oncoprotein co-overexpression in human breast cancer.
abstract: p53 and c-erbB-2 protein expression was immunohistochemically examined in a consecutive series of 49 primary breast cancer patients with a 10-year follow-up. The study was performed on paraffin sections using the monoclonal antibodies DO7 and CBE1; the former recognizes both the wild-type and the mutant p53 forms, the latter recognizes the external domain of the transmembrane c-erbB-2 protein. Positive staining was expressed in 12.2% and 16.3% of cases for p53 and c-erbB-2 proteins, respectively. The results were related to clinicopathological parameters by the chi 2 test. A significant correlation was found between positive c-erbB-2 immunostaining and poor survival (P = 0.04) and between p53 and c-erbB-2 overexpression (P = 0.003); this co-overexpression correlated well with a poor clinical outcome (P = 0.040). From our results, we may speculate that simultaneous expression of p53 and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins could be a critical event in breast tumor progression, and therefore, of prognostic value to identify patients at high risk.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University of Perugia, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barbati
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Cosmi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sidoni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Collini
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Porpora
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lüthy
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lauro
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bucciarelli
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53