Expression of E-cadherin and its relation to the p53 protein status in human breast carcinomas

• Published in: Virchows Archiv : an international journal of pathology Vol. 431; no. 5; pp. 317 - 321
• Main Authors: BUKHOLM, I. K, NESLAND, J. M, KARESEN, R, JACOBSEN, U, BØRRESEN-DALE, A.-L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01-11-1997
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Breast Neoplasms - metabolism; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Cadherins - genetics; Cadherins - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - metabolism; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast - pathology; Carcinoma, Lobular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Lobular - pathology; Down-Regulation; Female; Genes, p53 - genetics; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Loss of Heterozygosity; Mammary gland diseases; Medical sciences; Microsatellite Repeats; Middle Aged; Mutation; Receptor, ErbB-2 - metabolism; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 - metabolism; Tumors; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Carcinoma; Cell adhesion molecule; Heterozygosity loss; Malignant tumor; Cadherin; Carcinogenesis; Polymerase chain reaction; Pathology; Mammary gland diseases; TP53 Gene; Microsatellite DNA; C-Onc gene; Instability; Mammary gland; Molecular biology; E Cadherin; Protooncogene; Tumor suppressor gene
• ISSN: 0945-6317; 1432-2307
• DOI: 10.1007/s004280050105

In breast carcinomas the TP53 gene is altered in 10-30% of cases. Alteration of the gene may lead to a general genomic instability, detected as deletions and/or amplifications at the gene level, and as altered expression at the mRNA and protein level. We have demonstrated a strong association between down-regulation of E-cadherin protein expression and alterations of the p53 protein, detected as TP53 gene mutation and/or protein accumulation in tumour samples from 210 patients with breast carcinomas (P < 0.001). Investigation of allelic imbalance using microsatellite markers located near the E-cadherin locus was also performed. A higher frequency of loss of heterozygosity in the microsatellite marker closest to the E-cadherin locus was observed in samples with down-regulation of E-cadherin protein expression. A higher frequency of down-regulation of the E-cadherin protein expression was found in invasive lobular carcinomas than in invasive ductal carcinomas, although this difference was of borderline significant (P = 0.084). Cases in the present series were also immunostained for cerB-2 protein overexpression. A significant association between p53 protein accumulation and cerbB-2 protein overexpression was seen (P = 0.036). The results of the present study indicate that p53 protein may play a role in regulation of E-cadherin protein expression.