ObjectiveTo study the relationship between C-erbB-2 and estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors, and the relationship between C-erbB-2, ER, PR with histologic grade. MethodsTo detect ER, PR and C-erbB-2 states by using immunohistochemical analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization for C-erbB-2 in 163 unselected invasive breast carcinomas. ResultsC-erbB-2, ER ,PR were expressed in 21.5％ ,64.4％ ,44.2％ of 163 cases respectivly . 5 pure mucinous carcinomas , 3 tubular carcinomas and 1 micropapillary carcinoma were ER + ( 100.0％ ) 、C-erbB-2 - ( 100.0％ ) and PR + (40.0％ ,66.7％, 100.0％ ). C-erbB-2 was positive in 22.3％ of grade Ⅱ and 27.0％ of grade Ⅲ invasive ductal carcinomas and negative in all grade Ⅰ invasive ductal carcinomas.ER and PR expression were decreased significantly in C-erbB-2 + tumors compared with C-erbB-2 - tumors( ER,25. 7％ vs 75.0％ ; PR,25.7％ vs 49.2％ ). Although ER or PR expression is decreased in C-erbB-2 + tumors, a substantial proportion of them still express ER or PR. ConclusionC-erbB-2 overexpression or amplifcation was limited to a minority of invasive breast carcinomas. Tumour grade was an independent predictor for ER expression. ER was expressed in small number of high-grade and in large number of grade Ⅰ invasive ductal carcinomas. C-erbB-2 overexpression or amplification essentially was limited to grades Ⅱ and Ⅲ ductal carcinomas and correlated inversely with ER or PR expression.

Foam Cells ; pathology ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; pathology ; Humans