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A flow cytometric study of c-erbB-3 expression in breast cancer

  • Original Article
  • Flow Cytometry, C-ErbB-3, Breast Cancer
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Abstract

In order to assess the specificity of biotinylated anti-c-erbB-3 antibody, screening was performed on a series of tumour cell lines and lymphocytes. Staining was found to be consistent, with good reproducibility. Twenty-nine consecutive breast cancer samples were obtained from women treated with tamoxifen and undergoing elective mastectomy. Twenty-eight invasive ductal carcinomas and 1 DCIS were stained for c-erbB-3 expression: 2 were grade I (Bloom and Richardson), 15 grade II, and 11 grade III tumours, 1 being unclassified; 16 were axillary node positive and 10 node negative; in 2 cases no nodes were sampled. Tumours examined by flow cytometry were stained with cytokeratin FITC antibody and the cytokeratin-positive population gated. Using Mann-Whitney analysis no association was seen between c-erbB-3 expression and Bloom and Richardson grade or axillary node status. In the tumour samples c-erbB-3 expression was found to show an association with EGF-R (P=0.021r 2=0.16), PgR (P=0.02,r 2=0.16), c-myc (P<0.0001,r 2=0.5), c-jun (P=0.001,r 2=0.4) and c-fos (P=0.001,r 2=0.5) but not with c-erbB-2 (P=0.2,r 2=0.06), ER (P=0.4,r 2=0.02) or p53 1801 (P=0.05,r 2=0.2). Expression of c-erbB-3 may not be an independent marker of prognosis, but it is associated with other markers of poor prognosis and early cellular events linked with aberrant growth and differentiation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Framlington Place, NE2 4HH, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

    Ian Brotherick, Brian K. Shenton, Ian S. Waite & Thomas W. J. Lennard

  2. Department of Pathology, Medical School, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Framlington Place, NE2 4HH, Newcastle upon Tyne, England

    Brian Angus & Charles H. W. Horne

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  1. Ian Brotherick
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  2. Brian K. Shenton
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  3. Brian Angus
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  4. Ian S. Waite
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  5. Charles H. W. Horne
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  6. Thomas W. J. Lennard
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This study was supported by The North of England Cancer Research Campaign

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Brotherick, I., Shenton, B.K., Angus, B. et al. A flow cytometric study of c-erbB-3 expression in breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 41, 280–286 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01517215

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01517215

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