title: Expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 biomarkers in normal breast tissue from women of reproductive age treated with raloxifene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of raloxifene on antigen expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2 in normal breast tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, double-blind study was conducted with 40 premenopausal women aged 18-40 years who had been diagnosed with fibroadenoma of the breast. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A (placebo, n = 20), and Group B (raloxifene 60 mg, n = 20).The medication was taken for 22 days initiating from the first day of the menstrual cycle. An excisional biopsy was performed on the 23rd day. At the time of biopsy, a sample of normal breast tissue was collected to evaluate protein expression of Ki-67 and Bcl-2. The Student's t test and Chi-square test were used for statistical data analysis and the significance level was established at 5%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean percentage of nuclei stained for Ki-67 was 22.16 ± 1.91 (p < 0.001) and 2.161 ± 0.181 in the control group and the raloxifene group. The expression of Bcl-2 was similar in both groups (p = 0.8888).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Raloxifene treatment significantly reduced antigen expression of Ki-67, but failed to have any significant results on the Bcl-2 expression. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the mechanism of raloxifene on apoptosis in normal breast tissue.
authors.affiliation: Mastology Division, Department of Gynecology, Getúlio Vargas Hospital, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Avenida Elias João Tajra, 1260, Apt. 600, Bairro Jockey Club, Teresina, PI, 64049-300, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marina Ayres Vilarinho Corrêa
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Benedito Borges
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: da Silva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001706:Biopsy; D001940:Breast / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D018226:Fibroadenoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D020845:Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators; D020849:Raloxifene Hydrochloride