An Immunohistochemical Study for the neu and ras Oncoprotein and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in the Breast Carcinoma

ABSTRACT

To evaluate correlation between the expression of neu and ras oncoprotein and epidermal growth factor receptor on breast carcinoma and other known prognostic factors, immunohisto-chemical studies were performed. Positive reaction for neu, which appeared as brown granular deposits along cell surface and cytoplasm of the tumor cells, was significantly correlated with the histological grade but not with other prognostic factors such as tumor size, lymph node me-tastasis, local recurrence, and estrogen and progesteron receptor status. Also granular deposits of ras were noted in the carcinoma cells in the cytoplasm, while the epithelaial cells of the normal lobule and duct showed negative reation. But expression of ras was not significantly associated ras with other prognostic factors. The reaction for EGFR was mostly negative on epithelial cells of both the normal lobule and duct, and was not significantly associated with other prognostic factors. The results suggested that expression of the neu oncoprotein is significantly associated with the histological grade of breast carcinoma, while the ras and the EGFR do not show significant prognostic value.