title: Expression of caspase-3 and -7 does not correlate with the extent of apoptosis in primary breast carcinomas.
abstract: Association between the rate of apoptosis and expression of the several relevant molecules (Bcl-2, pro- and active caspase-3, and caspase-7) was studied in 61 primary breast carcinomas. The rate of apoptosis detected both morphologically and by the TUNEL assay appeared to be high in 18 (30%), moderate in 14 (23%), and low in 29 (48%) carcinomas. High apoptotic index was strongly associated with advanced tumor grade and estrogen receptor positive (ER+) status but not with other investigated clinical or morphological parameters. Among the molecules studied, only the Bcl-2 protein expression demonstrated strong (inverse) correlation with the apoptotic index (p = 0.032). The data of this expected correlation was served as internal control in the study. Interestingly, high levels of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was frequently co-incident with increased expression of pro-apoptotic molecules, such as active caspase-3 (p = 0.004) and caspase-7 (p = 0.001). However, expression of caspase-3 or caspase-7 did not show correlation with the extent of apoptosis or any clinico-morphological features, except overrepresentation of ER+ status in tumors expressing caspase-3 (p = 0.009). Thus, these findings indicate a general dysregulation of spontaneous apoptosis in primary breast tumors.
authors.affiliation: NN Petrov Institute of Oncology, St. Petersburg 197758, Russia.
authors.forename: Maxim Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Grigoriev
authors.forename: Kazymir M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Pozharissky
authors.forename: Kaido P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Evgeny N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Imyanitov
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhivotovsky
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019254:Genes, bcl-2; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; C505520:CASP7 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D053179:Caspase 7; D020169:Caspases