PROGNOSTICALLY SIGNIFICANT PROTEIN-COMPONENTS OF HUMAN BREAST-CANCER TISSUES

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (9) , 3143-3146
Abstract
Cryostat sections of clinicopathologically characterized breast cancer tissues were eluted with phosphate-buffered 0.9% NaCl solution, pH 7.2. The proteins were characterized by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with and without prior treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate. Approximately 65% of the breast cancer tissue eluates contained a prominent protein fraction with an MW of 47,000-55,000 (p50). No such component was found in 15 of 17 eluates of benign breast tissue. Charge density studies disclosed that the p50 component included 3 populations of proteins that could be characterized according to the migration relative to gp [glycoprotein] 55 derived from RIII murine mammary tumor virus, i.e., fast (F-p50), intermediate (I-p50) and slow (S-p50). Prognostically favorable pathological characteristics, i.e., stage, nuclear grade and lymphoreticuloendothelial responses, were proportionately most frequently found among S-p50 breast cancers and were least frequently found among F-p50 breast cancers. It appears that the S-p50 component acts in vivo as a prognostically significant immunogen. Further knowledge of the relationship between protein characteristics and clinicopathological features of human breast cancers would contribute to the understanding of mammary carcinogenesis and biological behavior.

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