Fas antigen expression in breast cancer

Purpose:To investigate the apoptosis of breast cancer and its relationship with apoptosis and Fas antigen expression in breast cancer. Methods:Flow immmunocytometry was used to detect the expression of Fas antigen and rate of apoptosis in 36 cases of breast carcinoma tissues and the surrounding non cancerous tissues. Results:Both breast carcinoma tissues (number of positive cells:941±846) and the surrounding noncancerous tissues (number of positive cells:560±551) expressed the Fas antigen,the expression was statistcally significant ( P 0 05), the rate of apoptosis of breast carcinoma (10.1%±7.5%) was significantly higher than that in the surrounding non cancerous tissues (5.6%±5.0%)( P 0 05). Fas antigen expression of breast carcinoma with axillary lymph node involvement (number of positive cells:181±59) was significantly lower than that without axillary lymph node involvement (number of positive cells:1320±801) ( P 0 05). The expression of estrogen receptor in breast carcinoma was not related with the Fas antigen and the rate of apoptosis ( P 0 05). Fas expression in breast carcinoma was associated with the rate of apoptosis (r=0 603, P 0 01). Conclusions:Our study indicates that both in the breast carcinoma tissues and the surrounding noncancerous tissues apoptosis could occur,Fas takes part in the occurence and progression of breast carcinoma. Gene treatment could alter apoptotic abnormality, thus induce apoptosis in cancerous cell expressing Fas antigen.