title: Different prognostic factors correlate with Bcl-2 expression among triple negative and non-triple negative breast cancers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prognostication of breast cancer using clinico-pathologic variables, although useful, remains imperfect. Recent research has focused on finding new markers of prognosis using gene expression profiling. Panels of proteins assessed by immunohistochemistry might also be useful in this regard. This study focused on Bcl-2 protein expression in triple-negative (TNBC) and non- triple-negative breast cancer (non-TNBC) with correlation to clinico-pathologic variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed Bcl-2 expression in 77 women with primary breast carcinoma divided into two groups; triple-negative and non- triple-negative according to expression of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptors (Her2/neu). Bcl-2 expression was assessed in relation to age, histo-pathological subtype, grade, nodal status and tumor size.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bcl-2 was expressed in 74% of triple-negative breast cancers and 70% of non- triple-negative cancers. In TNBC, expression was significantly correlated with invasive ductal subtype, while in non-TNBC it was significantly correlated with age and negative nodal status. In both groups higher Bcl-2 expression associated with favourable prognostic factors in breast cancer, but no significant statistical correlations were found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frequency of Bcl-2 expression does not differ between TNBC and non-TNBC, but different prognostic factors correlate with Bcl-2 in the two cases.
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Egypt. amalabdelhafez@gmail.com
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abd El-Hafez
authors.forename: Abd El-Aty
authors.initials: Ael-A
authors.lastname: Shawky Mohamed
authors.forename: Basem Hasan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Elesawy
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D064726:Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human