Premium
DIFFERENTIATION PATHWAYS IN PRIMARY INVASIVE BREAST CARCINOMA AS SUGGESTED BY INTERMEDIATE FILAMENT AND BIOPATHOLOGICAL MARKER EXPRESSION
Author(s) -
SANTINI DONATELLA,
CECCARELLI CLAUDIO,
TAFFURELLI MARIO,
PILERI STEFANO,
MARRANO DOMENICO
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199608)179:4<386::aid-path631>3.0.co;2-v
Subject(s) - primary (astronomy) , breast carcinoma , pathology , biology , cancer research , oncology , medicine , breast cancer , cancer , genetics , physics , astronomy
The expression of intermediate filament proteins (IFPs) in 65 primary breast carcinomas was analysed by a panel of specific antibodies. Results were integrated with the oestrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PGR) status, Ki‐67 marking, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) expression. Invasive breast carcinomas could be divided into three main groups: group 1 revealed positivity only for ‘simple epithelial’ cytokeratins (CKs 7, 8, 18, and 19); group 2 also stained with the antibodies K8.12 and 34βE12; while group 3 showed co‐expression of CKs 14 and 17, vimentin, and α‐smooth muscle actin. Group 3 consistently comprised tumours with the highest Ki‐67 levels, EGFr positivity, and ER‐PGR negative status. On the other hand, groups 1 and 2 usually exhibited a positive hormonal status, lower proliferative activity, and EGFr negativity. The results of this study indicate that the determination of IFPs can significantly contribute to the identification of groups of patients with different biopathological settings and possibly different clinical behaviour.