Immunohistochemical expression of p53, nm23-HI, Ki67 and DNA ploidy: Correlation with lymph node status and other clinical pathologic parameters in breast cancer
C. Midulla et al., Immunohistochemical expression of p53, nm23-HI, Ki67 and DNA ploidy: Correlation with lymph node status and other clinical pathologic parameters in breast cancer, ANTICANC R, 19(5B), 1999, pp. 4033-4037
Background: The different clinical evolution of breast cancer with similar
pathological characteristics prompted the authors to investigate the progno
stic significance of different biological markers. Methods: Seventy-one pri
mary breast carcinoma specimens obtained by mastectomy or quadrantectomy we
re examined for the determination of the p53, nm23 and Ki67 expression, wit
h immunohistochemistry, and the DNA content, with static cytometry. Results
: p53 protein was expressed as nuclear staining in 58% of the cases and was
associated with high levels of Ki67, non-diploid lesions and lymph-node st
atus. Positive staining for nm23 was significantly correlated only with his
tologic grading. A predictive role in disease recurrence was demonstrated o
nly in patients with a high Ki67 nuclear expression. Conclusions: From thes
e data, we may conclude that, besides all the other traditional clinical mo
rphological parameters, a pannel of different biological markers, such as K
i67 and the determination of p53 expression, may be utilized to further cha
racterize breast cancer and its biological behavior.