RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical significance of CC3/TIP30 protein's expression in breast carcinoma and its correlation with HER-2/neu.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of CC3/TIP30 and HER-2/neu protein was detected in 112 breast cancer tissues which was collected from January 2004 to January 2005 by immunohistochemistry and the relationship with clinic pathological parameters and prognosis was analyzed. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) which target to knock out CC3/TIP30 were transfected into SK-BR-3 cells. Real-time PCR were used to detect the level of CC3/TIP30 and HER-2/neu mRNA.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The results of immunohistochemistry showed CC3/TIP30 protein was correlated with TNM stage, lymph node status, HER-2 status and molecule classification (P = 0.048, 0.019, 0.027, 0.011), but there was no association with age, tumor size, estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor. Real-time PCR results revealed that CC3/TIP30 siRNA down-regulation the level of its mRNA, accompanied by a decline in the expression of HER-2/neu gene mRNA, the difference was statistically significant (F = 56.797, P = 0.000; F = 165.101, P = 0.000). In addition, Kaplan-Meier curves of disease-specific survival analysis showed a marked difference in the subtype of HER-2 protein positive between CC3/TIP30 positive group and negative group (χ(2) = 10.732, P = 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The loss of CC3/TIP30 is related to occurrence and development in breast cancer, suggesting early onset of metastasis and recurrence. Perhaps CC3/TIP30 can be considered as a sub-typing indicator in HER-2 positive breast cancer.</p>