Frequency analysis of apoptosis in sporadic breast cancer.

The development of breast cancer is associated with an accumulation of specific genetic alterations. These genetic changes affect malignant transformation of both dysregulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Apoptotic cell death is a frequent phenomenon in breast cancer. In present work we investigated the association between apoptosis and breast cancer progression. The apoptosis was analysed in breast cancer patients (n=103) in blood and tumour specimens. Blood samples from age matched healthy women served as control (n=90). The apoptosis was detected by special staining techniques TUNEL and by agarose gel electrophoresis. The apoptotic cells were identified in 69.9% (72/103) of the breast cancers and in 1.1% control (1/90). The number of positive samples were significantly higher among cancer samples than among control samples (P < 0.001). There were the significant difference in terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphisphate-biotin nick end-labelling index between ductal breast carcinoma and the other histological types. Sex steroid recepor negative tumors have greater apoptotic index than the sex steroid receptor positive ones. The high frequency of apoptotic cells in breast tumours suggests a potential role of apoptosis in cancer appearance and/or progression.