Extra copies of chromosomes 16 and X in invasive breast carcinomas are related to aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis.

Background: Breast cancer is a genetically complex disease, which involves the accumulation of various structural and numerical chromosomal aberrations.

Aim: To assess the numerical status of chromosomes 16 and X by interphase cytogenetics, in 114 women with primary invasive breast carcinomas, in relation to clinicopathological parameters, patients' overall survival and indices of cell growth (c-erbB-2, topoisomerase IIalpha (topoIIalpha)) and cell survival (caspase-3, bcl-2).

Experimental Design: Chromogenic in situ hybridisation with pericentromeric probes was performed for molecular analysis, while oestrogen and progesterone receptors, cerbB-2, topoIIalpha, caspase-3 and bcl-2 expression was immunohistochemically detected (ABC/HRP).

Stromelysin-3 protein expression in invasive breast cancer: relation to proliferation, cell survival and patients' outcome.

Matrix metalloproteinases constitute one of the major extracellular matrix degrading enzymic families implicated in cancer development. Stromelysin-3 in particular, a member of the matrix metalloproteinases belonging to the stromelysins' subgroup, seems to be closely related to invasiveness and tumor progression. In this study, we proceeded to the evaluation of stromelysin-3 protein's expression in paraffin sections of 133 cases of invasive breast carcinomas and statistically estimated its relations with known clinicopathological prognostic parameters and patients' survival, proliferation markers Ki-67 and TopoIIalpha and the antiapoptotic protein bcl-2.

Enhanced mRNA expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in breast carcinomas is correlated with adverse prognosis.

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) has emerged as a multifunctional protein with the contrasting activities of inhibiting tissue-degrading enzymes and promoting cellular growth. In an attempt to elucidate the clinical significance of TIMP-1 in breast cancer, the expression of TIMP-1 mRNA was evaluated in 117 invasive breast carcinomas by mRNA in situ hybridization, in correlation with clinicopathological parameters, immunohistochemical prognostic factors (Ki-67, c-erb-B-2, bcl-2) and clinical outcome. TIMP-1 was detected in stromal cells in areas within the tumours and at the tumour margin.

Aneuploidy of chromosome 20 in invasive breast cancer correlates with poor outcome.

Breast carcinoma is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disease and is frequently associated with nonrandom chromosomal alterations. The aim of this study was to investigate the numerical aberrations of chromosome 20 in breast cancer. The observed chromosome-specific numerical abnormalities were evaluated along with the established clinicopathological parameters, the immunohistochemical expression of ER, PR, p53, c-erbB-2, Ki-67 and patients' survival.

Correlation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 with proliferative activity and patients' survival in breast cancer.

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are endogenous regulators of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). They are believed to possess several distinct cellular functions, particularly the contradictory activities of inhibiting MMPs and promoting tumor cell growth. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect TIMP-2 protein in 136 infiltrative breast carcinomas.