title: Correlation of Bcl-2 and p53 expression in primary breast tumors and corresponding metastatic lymph nodes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The p53 tumor suppressor gene product participated in G1 cell cycle arrest or cell death. Loss of function was associated with poor outcome in patients with breast carcinoma. bcl-2 prevented apoptosis induced by c-myc or growth factor deprivation. High bcl-2 expression in breast tumor tissue specimens appears to be associated with favorable prognostic factors. However, Bcl-2 and p53 expression in primary tumor tissue specimens versus metastatic lymph node specimens in breast carcinoma has not been studied. The current study compared Bcl-2 and p53 expression in primary breast carcinoma tissue specimens with Bcl-2 and p53 expression in axillary lymph node specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Primary breast tumor and corresponding axillary metastatic lymph node tissue specimens were obtained from 60 patients with breast carcinoma. They were evaluated for the presence of Bcl-2 and p53 expression by immunohistochemistry using standard methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bcl-2 expression in primary tumor tissue specimens (53%) was correlated with Bcl-2 expression in metastatic lymph node specimens (50 %; Pearson correlation = 0.656). p53 expression in primary tumor specimens (72%) was correlated with p53 expression in metastatic lymph node specimens (60 %; Pearson correlation = 0.800). A significant inverse correlation also was found between p53 and Bcl-2 expression in primary breast tumor tissue specimens (Pearson correlation = -0.310).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study suggested that Bcl-2 and p53 expression in axillary metastatic lymph node specimens is correlated with Bcl-2 and p53 expression in the primary tumor tissue specimens. The prognostic and predictive value of Bcl-2 and p53 expression in axillary lymph node metastasis in patients with breast carcinoma needs to be further evaluated in larger trials with longer follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 77030, USA. barun@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Banu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arun
authors.forename: Gokhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yen
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yardley
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gaynor
authors.forename: Raheela
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ashfaq
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53