Prognostic significance of c-erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) oncoprotein in benign and malignant breast tumor tissue

The overexpression of c-erbB-2 (HER2/neu) oncoprotein was analysed quantitatively by ELISA in tissue extracts of benign and malignant breast tumors (N= 38 and 145, resp.). The level of this oncoprotein was above the cut-off value (100 kU/g protein) in 5% of dysplastic tissues and in 37 % of breast carcinomas (range 4.2-133.6 and 10.7-1862.9 kU/g protein, resp.). The correlation between c-erbB-2 measured by ELISA and detected semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry was statistically significant. Dysplastic tissues with higher relative risk of malignant transformation were characterised by elevated c-erbB-2 values. In breast cancer patients, c-erbB-2 overexpression was inversely associated with disease-free interval. No correlation was found between c-erbB-2 and grading, lymph node infiltration, tumor size, or hormone receptor status.