[Immunohistochemical study of c-erbB-2 and p53 protein in breast papillomatosis and its malignant transformation].

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the levels of c-erbB-2 and p53 protein in different stages of papillomatosis of breast and its malignant transformation and value for early diagnosis.

METHODS

Levels of c-erbB-2 and p53 protein were detected by immunohistochemistry in 184 paraffin-embeded blocks.

RESULTS

c-erbB-2 protein expression was seen in all stages of papillomatosis with different degrees of proliferation and in tissues undergone malignant transformation. The rate of overexpression increased with the degree of proliferation. The p53 protein expression was not found in papillomatosis with mild to severe proliferation. It was only overexpressed in 3.5% of carcinoma arising from papillomatosis, but increased to 25% when invasion occurred.

CONCLUSION

c-erbB-2 assay may be helpful for detection of early malignant change of the highly proliferative papillomatosis, especially when histopathological evidence of malignancy is still lacking. p53 protein is of no significant diagnostic value in these lesions.