APOPTOSIS OCCURS MORE FREQUENTLY IN INTRADUCTAL CARCINOMA THAN IN INFILTRATING DUCT CARCINOMA OF HUMAN BREAST-CANCER AND CORRELATES WITH ALTERED P53 EXPRESSION - DETECTED BY TERMINAL-DEOXYNUCLEOTIDYL-TRANSFERASE-MEDIATED DUTP-FITC NICK END LABELING (TUNEL)

Aims: We examined the relationship between apoptosis and three differe nt major stages of human breast carcinoma: intraductal carcinoma (DCIS ), infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) and metastatic carcinoma in lymph nodes, We also determined the correlation between apoptosis and oestr ogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and p53. Methods and re sults: The study investigates the extent of apoptosis in 63 breast car cinomas by in-situ end-labelling, in formalin-fixed, paraffin-processe d tissue sections, The 63 breast carcinomas, included 22 DCISs, 26 IDC s, three infiltrating lobular carcinomas (ILC) and 12 metastatic lymph nodes, The apoptotic labelling index was higher in DCIS than IDC and metastatic carcinoma (P<0.001, P<0.007, respectively). By immunohistoc hemistry, we also analysed p53, ER and PR. Apoptosis correlated signif icantly with p53 (r=0.748, P=0.0004) in IDC, Also, ER correlated signi ficantly with PR (r=0.629, P=0.00001). No apparent correlation was fou nd between the apoptosis and ER or PR. Conclusion: Our data suggest: t hat not only does apoptosis differ between intraductal carcinoma and i nfiltrating carcinoma but also it might be regulated by altered p53 ex pression.