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Comparative Study
. 2008 Oct 22:6:112.
doi: 10.1186/1477-7819-6-112.

Correlation of HER-2 over-expression with clinico-pathological parameters in Tunisian breast carcinoma

Lobna Ayadi  1 , Abdelmajid Khabir, Habib Amouri, Sondes Karray, Abdallah Dammak, Mohamed Guermazi, Tahya Boudawara
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Correlation of HER-2 over-expression with clinico-pathological parameters in Tunisian breast carcinoma

Lobna Ayadi et al. World J Surg Oncol. .

Abstract

Background: Breast carcinoma is a disease with a tremendous heterogeneity in its clinical behavior. Newer prognostic factors and predictors of response to therapy are needed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of HER-2, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in breast carcinoma and to compare it with other prognostic parameters such as histological type and grade, tumor size, patients' age, and lymph node metastases.

Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study conducted in the department of pathology at Sfax University Hospital. Confirmed 155 Cases of breast carcinoma were reviewed in the period between January 2000 and December 2004. We used immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of HER-2, ER, and PR receptor and Chi-square and Fisher exact test to correlate immunohistochemical findings with prognostic parameters for breast carcinoma such as patients' age, tumor size, histological type, histological grade and lymph node status.

Results: The mean age of patients was 51.5 years, ranging from 22 to 89 years. 80 (51.6%) of the patients were below 50 years. The percentage of expression of HER-2, ER and PR was 26, 59.4, and 52.3%, respectively. HER-2 was over-expressed (3+) in 18.1% of the cases, was inversely related to ER expression (p = 0.00) and to PR expression (p = 0.048). This over-expression was also associated with a high tumor grade with marginal significance (p = 0.072). A negative correlation was noted between ER and PR expression and SBR grade (p = 0.000) and ER and age (p = 0.002).

Conclusion: HER-2 over-expression was observed in 18.1% of Tunisian breast carcinoma affecting female patients. This group presents apparently an aggressive form of breast carcinoma with high histological grade and negative ER.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Examples of strong nuclear immunostaining with hormonal receptors. (a) ER+. (b) PR+.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Microscopy pictures illustrating the patterns of HER-2 immunostaining in breast carcinoma. (a) Weak positive (1+) pattern exemplified by weak focal membrane staining seen in more than 10% of the tumor cells. (b) Intermediate (2+) pattern, showing weak to moderate complete membrane staining in more than 10% of the tumor cells. (c) Strongly positive (3+) pattern shows intense membrane staining with weak cytoplasmic reactivity in more than 30% of the tumor cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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