Ali Jabir Neima Duabil

European Journal of Molecular and clinical medicine

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a common malignancy in Iraq and carries a high mortality rate. It has been shown that CRCs express high level of beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) as detected by immunohistochemistry.

الوصف This study aimed to assess the significance of human epidermal growth factor (HER-2/neu) protein overexpression and its possible correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), grade and stage in human non otherwise specified breast cancer. The present investigation was performed over a period starting from November 2008 to January 2009. Formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from 30 patients with breast cancer were included in this study. A group of 15 patients with benign breast lesions (fibroadenoma) was included as a comparative group and 15 normal breast tissue sections were included as control group. Labeled Streptavidin-Biotin Complex (LSAB) method was employed for immunohistochemical detection of HER-2/neu. Avidin-Biotin Complex (ABC) method was employed for immunohistochemical detection of VEGF. A total of 30 malignant cases were included. HER2/neu was considered as positive in (18 cases) 60% of non otherwise specified invasive ductal carcinoma and VEGF was considered as positive in (21cases) 70% with concomitant positivity of both markers in more than half (16 cases) 53.3% out of 30 malignant cases. No overexpression of both markers have been noticed in normal or benign (fibroadenoma) breast tissue sections with significant difference from that of malignant cases (P< 0.05). We did not find any significant difference between overexpression of both (HER-2/neu and VEGF) in relation to age, tumor size, tumor stage and positive or negative lymph node breast cancer cases (P> 0.05). However there was positive relation between HER-2/neu overexpression and the grade of tumor (P<