title: Numerical aberrations of chromosomes 1 and 7 by fluorescent in situ hybridization and DNA ploidy analysis in breast cancer.
abstract: The goals of this study were to detect the numerical alterations of chromosomes 1 and 7 in breast cancer and to correlate the findings with DNA ploidy status as well as with parameters of prognostic significance. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with centromeric probes for chromosomes 1 and 7 and cellular DNA content measurement by image analysis-based cytophotometry were applied on interface nuclei from fresh tissue imprints of 59 breast ductal carcinomas. Immunohistochemical stainings for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2, p53, and Ki67 were performed on paraffin tumor sections. The correlation between DNA ploidy and chromosomal aberrations revealed a significant association between aneuploidy and aneusomy for both chromosomes 1 (p=0.002) and 7 (p=0.00001), however, a number of diploid tumors were found to be aneusomic, especially for chromosome 1. Chromosome 7 polysomy was significantly associated with a higher incidence of axillary lymph node metastasis (p=0.05), poorly differentiated (grade III) tumors (p=0.03), negative ER and PR status (p=0.02 and 0.001, respectively), as well as p53 protein expression (p=0.05) and a higher Ki67 labeling index (p=0.004). Chromosome 1 aneusomy was only related with HER-2 protein overexpression (p=0.05). No association between chromosome alterations and tumor size was detected. In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that the detection of numerical aberrations of chromosomes 1 and 7 by FISH seems to be more sensitive than DNA ploidy status for the evaluation of abnormal cellular DNA and chromosome 7 aneusomy characterizes tumors with aggressive features and therefore might be a useful predictor of unfavorable biological behavior in breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, MITERA Maternity and Surgical Center, Athens, Greece. nkapranos@mitera.gr
authors.forename: Nikiforos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kapranos
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kounelis
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Karantasis
authors.forename: Efi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kouri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002878:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 1; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011003:Ploidies; D011379:Prognosis; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone