Abstract
In the cytology of 96 cases of breast disease, comprising of 52 of benign disease and 44 of breast cancer, an enzyme antibody ABC staining and argentation were performed to examine the occurrence of C-erbB-2 protein, and a number and morphology of nucleolar organizer. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of C-erbB-2 protein and degree of proliferation activity at a step of cytology. Results: C-erbB-2 protein was detected in (10%) out of 52 benign diseases and in 20 (45%) out of 44 breast cancers. In breast cancers C-erbB-2 protein was predominantly detected in those with advanced lymph node metastasis.
Nucleolar organizers were circular and almost even in size for benign diseases, while, were varicolored in morphology and uneven in size for breast cancers. Averaged intranuclear dot number was significantly larger in breast cancers (4.3±2.80 on average) than that (2.77±0.54 on average) in benign diseases; it was significantly larger in C-erbB-2-positive breast cancers (6.29±3.02 on average) than that (2.83±1.66 on average) in C-erbB-2-negative cancers. It is thought that the occurrence of C-erbB-2 protein in breast cancers has some relation to lymph node metastasis and the degree of proliferation, namely, it might be a probable prognosis predicting factor.
