The relationship between expression of p53/Bcl-2 and histopathological criteria in breast invasive ductal carcinomas

Seventy-five cases of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) on whom axillary lymph node dissection and mastectomy were performed between 1996 and 2000 were reviewed histopathologically. The slides were stained immunohistologically with p53 and Bcl-2. In 40 cases we observed 53% Bcl-2 and 69% p53 positivity. There were correlations between p53 and tumour grade, and also between p53 and Bcl-2. We did not observe any connection between the main histopathological prognostic factors--lymph node metastasis, tumour size, tubule formation, pleomorphism--and p53/Bcl-2. In our study, IDC with a high mitotic index and poor differentiation showed mutant p53 positive staining. Expression of Bcl-2 is associated with low nuclear grade and absence of mutant p53. This study was designed to reveal the correlation between histopathological findings and the expression of p53/Bcl-2 on prognosis.