Biological characteristics of breast carcinomas with neuroendocrine cell differentiation / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

ABSTRACT

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The aim of this study was to investigate DNA content and expression of c-erbB-2, PS2, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) proteins in breast carcinomas with neuroendocrine (NE) cell differentiation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Chromogranin, c-erbB-2, PS2, and PSA in 131 samples of breast cancer were detected immunohistochemically. Classic Feulgen staining image analysis techniques were used to quantify DNA content in 81 of the breast cancer samples.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The c-erbB-2 positive rate in breast carcinoma samples containing neuroendocrine cells was 37.5% and the rate of high expression of c-erbB-2 (++ or +++) was 33.3%, both significantly lower than that in breast carcinomas without neuroendocrine cells (62.6% and 68.7%, respectively, P < 0.05). The rates of positive PS2 and PSA expression in breast carcinoma samples containing neuroendocrine cells were 72.2% and 55.0%, respectively, both significantly higher than that in breast carcinoma samples without neuroendocrine cells (45.0% and 16.4%, respectively, P < 0.05). In NE(+) samples, the integral optical density, DNA index, DNA stemline peak, > 5 c aneuploidy cells, and rate of aneuploidy among cells were all lower than that in NE(-) breast carcinomas (P < 0.01). In NE(+) grade I or II breast carcinomas, these indices were also all lower than that in the NE(-) breast carcinoma samples (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Breast carcinomas with neuroendocrine differentiation have a lower rate of malignancy. Neuroendocrine differentiation could serve as a prognostic marker in clinical practice.</p>