Expression And Clinical Significance Of Cytokeratin5/6/18 In Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Breast Carcinoma By Flow Cytometry

Objective: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of the cytokeratin5/6/18 in peripheral blood cells of patients with breast carcinoma.Methods: From July 2005 to September 2006, expression of cytokeratin5/6/18 in 56 patients of peripheral blood with breast carcinoma were examined by flow cytometry one week before and after operation, as well as after two period of chemical therapy with FEC, and the expression of cytokeratin5/6/18 in 24 cases with breast benign diseases were also examined by flow cytometry one week before and after operation. At the same time, 20 normal samples from women without breast diseases were examined as normal controls. EDTA was used as the anticoagulant, and liquid separation lymphocytes isolated mononuclear cells, then adding cytokeratin5/6/18 mouse anti-human monoclonal antibody. Statistical methods: t-test analysis and x~2 analysis were used (SPSS statistical software,Version10.0 for windows ).Results: 46.4% (26 out of 56) of patients with breast cancer had CK5/6/18 positive cells in their peripheral blood. There was a significant difference compared to healthy control group and patients with benign breast disease, p<0.05. Whereas, there was no significant difference between patients with benign breast disease and normal samples, p>0.05. The rate of CK5/6/18 positive cells in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer in stage III and IV was higher than that in patients with early breast cancer, P<0.05. There was no statistically significant between ER and/or PR positive patients and negative patients, p>0.05. Age of patients and postmenopausal status had no significant association with the expression of CK5/6/18, p>0.05.Tumor size and axillary lymph metastasis associated significantly with the expression of CK5/6/18, P<0.05. Before and after chemotherapy or surgery treatment, there was a significant differences for the expression of CK5/6/18, P <0.05.Conclusion: The expression of CK5/6/18 in peripheral blood cells correlates significantly with the clinical TNM stage of breast carcinoma. Surgical treatment and chemotherapy are effective methods for intervention of breast cancer micrometastasis. The expression of cytokeratin5/6/18 in peripheral blood could be useful for prognosis and direction of adjuvant therapy of patients with breast carcinoma.