Vol 48, No 2 (2010)
Original paper
Submitted: 2011-12-19
Published online: 2010-08-03
Correlation between metallothionein (MT) expression and selected prognostic factors in ductal breast cancers.
Agnieszka Gomulkiewicz, Marzena Podhorska-Okolow, Rafal Szulc, Zbigniew Smorag, Andrzej Wojnar, Maciej Zabel, Piotr Dziegiel
DOI: 10.2478/v10042-010-0011-5
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Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2010;48(2):242-248.
Vol 48, No 2 (2010)
ORIGINAL PAPERS
Submitted: 2011-12-19
Published online: 2010-08-03
Abstract
Our study aimed at examining significance of metallothionein (MT) expression in ductal breast cancers by determination of a relationship between expression of MT protein (MT-1/2) and selected prognostic factors, including grade of histological differentiation (G), expression of Ki-67 proliferative antigen, expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) and expression of HER-2 receptor. Material for the studies involved 54 samples of invasive ductal breast cancer, manifesting malignancy grades of G1-G3. In paraffin sections of examined tumours immunohistochemical reactions were performed using specific antibodies directed to MT, Ki-67, ER, PgR or HER-2. Intensity of MT-specific immunohistochemical reactions was measured using the semiquantitative IRS scale of Remmele. Intensity of colour reactions targeted at Ki-67, ER, PgR was evaluated scoring proportions of positive cells, while HER-2-specific reactions were evaluated in the scale of 0-3 points. The lowest level of MT expression was detected in breast cancer cases of G1 malignancy grade (G1 vs G3 p=0.020). A positive correlation between MT and Ki-67 antigen expression (r=0.32, p=0.019) was disclosed. Moreover, MT expression exhibited negative correlations with expression of ER (r=-0.35, p=0.008) and PgR (r=-0.27, p=0.046). No relationships could be detected between expression of MT and expression of HER-2 (r=0.12, p=0.37). The obtained results suggest that MT expression might be helpful in prognostic evaluation of ductal breast cancers.
Abstract
Our study aimed at examining significance of metallothionein (MT) expression in ductal breast cancers by determination of a relationship between expression of MT protein (MT-1/2) and selected prognostic factors, including grade of histological differentiation (G), expression of Ki-67 proliferative antigen, expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PgR) and expression of HER-2 receptor. Material for the studies involved 54 samples of invasive ductal breast cancer, manifesting malignancy grades of G1-G3. In paraffin sections of examined tumours immunohistochemical reactions were performed using specific antibodies directed to MT, Ki-67, ER, PgR or HER-2. Intensity of MT-specific immunohistochemical reactions was measured using the semiquantitative IRS scale of Remmele. Intensity of colour reactions targeted at Ki-67, ER, PgR was evaluated scoring proportions of positive cells, while HER-2-specific reactions were evaluated in the scale of 0-3 points. The lowest level of MT expression was detected in breast cancer cases of G1 malignancy grade (G1 vs G3 p=0.020). A positive correlation between MT and Ki-67 antigen expression (r=0.32, p=0.019) was disclosed. Moreover, MT expression exhibited negative correlations with expression of ER (r=-0.35, p=0.008) and PgR (r=-0.27, p=0.046). No relationships could be detected between expression of MT and expression of HER-2 (r=0.12, p=0.37). The obtained results suggest that MT expression might be helpful in prognostic evaluation of ductal breast cancers.
Title
Correlation between metallothionein (MT) expression and selected prognostic factors in ductal breast cancers.
Journal
Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica
Issue
Vol 48, No 2 (2010)
Article type
Original paper
Pages
242-248
Published online
2010-08-03
Page views
2946
Article views/downloads
1913
DOI
10.2478/v10042-010-0011-5
Bibliographic record
Folia Histochem Cytobiol 2010;48(2):242-248.
Authors
Agnieszka Gomulkiewicz
Marzena Podhorska-Okolow
Rafal Szulc
Zbigniew Smorag
Andrzej Wojnar
Maciej Zabel
Piotr Dziegiel
About this article