c-erbB-2, p53 protein expression and steroid hormone receptors in breast carcinomas: an immunohistochemical study

p53, c-erbB-2 protein, steroid hormone receptors, and their correlation with clinicopathologic features were investigated in 70 primary breast carcinomas. All markers were measured immunohistochemically on paraffin sections. Altered p53 expression was found in 27.1% of cases and was associated with negative estrogen receptor status. p53 immunostaining was correlated weakly with histologically lymphatic vessel invasion of carcinoma. c-erbB-2 protein overexpression was seen in 48.6% of cases. A trend was observed in the correlation between c-erbB-2 immunostaining and regional lymph node metastases. Estrogen receptor status was not associated with any histologic or clinical parameters, whereas progesterone receptor status was associated with lymph node metastasis and histologically lymphatic vessel invasion of cancer. PgR status, p53 and c-erbB-2 immunostaining may prove to be an additional criterion in histologic diagnosis of breast cancer.