Background & objective: The variant form,CD44v6, of cellular surface adhesive molecule CD44 plays an important role in tumor metastasis, but the research results of its expression in breast cancer have obvious differences. Mutant of p53 gene was the most common gene abnormality associated with tumorigenesis of human. This study was to explore expression, and mutual relationship of p53, CD44v6, and DNA ploidy in breast cancer.
Methods: Flow cytometry was used to analyze expression level of p53, CD44v6, and DNA ploidy in 52 specimens of breast cancer tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues, and 18 specimens of benign breast tumor tissues.
Results: Expression levels of p53 and CD44v6, S phase fraction (SPF), and proliferation index (PI) in breast cancer tissues were higher than those in adjacent noncancerous tissues, benign breast tumor tissues, and normal breast tissues (P< 0.05). Expression of p53, CD44v6, SPF, and PI had no relation with patients' age, pathologic type, tumor size, and clinical stage (P >0.05). Expression of p53,CD44v6, SPF, and PI in patients with lymph node metastasis were higher than those in patients without lymph node metastasis (P< 0.05). Of 52 breast cancer patients, 23 were aneuploid (44.23%), 20 of 23 had metastasis; 29 were diploid (55.77%), 17 of 29 had metastasis. Lymph node metastasis rate in aneuploid patients was higher than that in diploid patients (P< 0.05); expression level of p53 protein in aneuploid tumors was higher than that in diploid tumors (P< 0.05), but this phenomenon was not seen in CD44v6 expression (P >0.05). The correlation analysis revealed that p53 protein expression positively correlated with SPF and PI (P< 0.05), whereas CD44v6 expression didn't correlate with SPF and PI (P >0.05).
Conclusion: Expression of p53 and CD44v6,and DNA content may play important roles in tumorigenesis, and progression of breast cancer. Expression of p53 and CD44v6,DNA ploidy, SPF, and PI may be correlated with lymph node metastasis. p53 and CD44v6 gene, and DNA content may become prognostic factors of breast cancer.