A 65 KDA ONCOFETAL PROTEIN (P65), PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN (PCNA) AND KI67 EXPRESSION IN BREAST-CANCER PATIENTS

Paraffin-embedded tissue slides from 89 infiltrating ductal breast car cinoma, 10 fibrocystic disease and 10 fibroadenoma were assessed immun ohistochemically using monoclonal antibodies against human p65 antigen and polyclonal antibodies against p65-like protein present in fetal b ovine serum. We did not find any evident differences in p65 detection by polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies, however,monoclonal antibody s eems to be more specific. This factor is not induced by cellular proli feration associated with nonneoplastic diseases what was confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis of expression of p65 protein and well kno w markers of proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen - PCNA and Ki 67). It was established that there is no correlation between p6 5 and PCNA or Ki67 expression. High proliferating indexes (PI) for PCN A (PI-PCNA) or Ki67 (PI-Ki67) may help in selection of tumors with hig h proliferating activity independently from histological grade of mali gnancy established by routine methods. The estimation of p65 protein m ay be useful in the selection of precancerous changes and more differe ntiated ductal cancer of the breast what raises the possibility that p 65 antigen may be helpful in the screening examination of women with h igh risk for cancer development.