[Expression of PTEN protein and its correlation with p27kip1 and cyclin D1 expression in primary breast cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To study the expression of phosphatase and tensin homology deleted on chromosometen ten (PTEN) protein, a tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer and its correlation with p27(kip1) and cyclin D1 expression.


METHODS
PTEN protein expression, p27(kip1) and cyclin D1 protein expression were detected by immunohistochemical method in paraffin sections from 61 women with primary breast cancer. PTEN protein expression was compared with clinico-pathologic parameters as related to p27(kip1) and cyclin D1.


RESULTS
PTEN, being shown in the cytoplasm, was negative in 6.6% (4/61), reduced in 41.0% (25/61) and positive in 52.5% (32/61) samples. PTEN expression level was correlated with axillary lymph node status, loss of estrogen receptor stain, recurrence and metastasis. On univariate analysis, the disease-free survival rate of patients with higher PTEN expression (> 50% cells stained) was better than those with lower expression (P = 0.0101). However, there was no correlation between p27(kip1), cyclin D1 expression or PTEN expression.


CONCLUSIONS
PTEN, its lower expression being correlated with poor outcome of breast cancer patients, plays a prominent role in breast cancer. p27(kip1) or cyclin D1 may not be the primary downstream genes of PTEN in breast cancer.
Lin
Qin
Q
Xiamen First Hospital, Xiamen 361003, China.
Zhuang
Yan-zhen
YZ
Xu
Dong-po
DP
Ye
Jian-xin
JX
Chen
Pei-qiong
PQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D011379:Prognosis
C530104:CCND1 protein, human; C436291:CDKN1B protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019938:Cyclin D1; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human