Significance of expressions of PTEN and Rb gene proteins in breast cancer

Objective: To explore the role and significance of abnormal expressions of phosphotase and tensin homolog deleted from chromsome 10(PTEN) and retinoblastoma(Rb) gene in the development of breast cancer.Methods: Immunohistochemical technique(S-P method) was used for detection of PTEN and Rb gene proteins in 150 cases of breast cancer and 30 cases of mammary benign proliferative lesions.The results were analyzed and compared with some clinicopathological parameters.Results: The protein expression levels of PTEN and Rb in breast cancer were significantly lower than those in benign proliferative lesions(P<0.005).Loss of expression of PTEN protein was obviously related to lymph nodes metastasis and the loss of expression of estrogen receptor(P<0.05).Loss of expression of Rb protein was not related to the clinicopathological parameters except the loss rate of expression was higher in grade Ⅲ.The positive association was found between the expressions of PTEN and Rb proteins(P<0.05).Conclusions: Expression rates of anti-oncogenes PTEN and Rb proteins are higher in benign proliferative lesions and decrease in breast cancer.The loss of inhibiting function of anti-oncogenes PTEN and Rb results in neoplastic transformation.Expression of PTEN relates to lymph nodes metastasis and the loss of expression of estrogen receptor,which shows a certein reference value to judge the prognosis of breast cancer.