Expression of BRCA1 and WWOX and their clinicopathologic implication in breast carcinomas occurring in young women / 中华病理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinicopathologic characteristics and biological markers of breast carcinomas in young women.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Immunohistochemical SP method was used to study breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1) and WWOX in breast carcinomas of patient ≤ 35 years of age (107 cases) and ≥ 60 years of age (112 cases). The findings were correlated with clinicopathological features. In addition, PCR amplification and direct sequencing were performed to detect the BRCA1 gene mutation of exons 2 and 20 using fresh frozen tissue samples in other 10 patients who were ≤ 35 years of age.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The positive rate of BRCA1 protein expression was higher in the young age group [65.4% (70/107)] than that of the old age group [35.7% (40/112)]. ER, PR, HER2, and WWOX protein expression and proliferation marker Ki-67 were no statistically different in the two groups (all P > 0.05). BRCA1 expression was significantly correlated with pTNM and axillary lymph node metastasis (both P < 0.05), but not with ER, PR, HER2 and WWOX protein expression (all P > 0.05). Ki-67 and histological grading showed no statistical correlation (P > 0.05). WWOX protein expression showed no correlation with clinicopathologic characteristics (all P > 0.05). Mutation of exons 2 and 20 of the BRCA1 gene was not detected in any of 10 cases studied.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>BRCA1 cytoplasmic expression statistically correlates with the development and prognosis of breast cancer of young patients.</p>