Comparative Analysis of PTEN, ER, and PR Expression in Invasive Versus Non-Invasive Breast Carcinoma Across Different Histological Grades in Local Population

Objective: The purposes of this study to compare PTEN, ER, and PR expressions between invasive and non-invasive breast carcinoma; and to analyse their expressions according to histological grades. Method: The study design chosen was the retrospective cohort study and biopsy and surgical specimens from department of pathology MBBS-MC Mirpur, AJK were used. The study consisted of sample of two hundred female patients distributed into two groups, invasive breast carcinoma with one hundred patients and non-invasive breast carcinoma with the other one hundred patients. Histological grading was done according to the Nottingham Grading System guidelines. To measure the stain intensity and the proportion of positively stained cells in relation to PTEN, ER, and PR, immunohistochemistry encircled by antibodies was employed. Result: The mean H-score of PTEN expression in invasive carcinoma was 4.2 ± 1.7. Majority of patients in this study were staged at T2NOMO while the distribution of tumour stage in non-invasive carcinoma was T1 (n= 6), T2 (n= 11), and T3 (n=39). On average, patients with PFO reported to have had 3 ± 1.4 episodes. For ER, the mean H-score was 5 and tumour invasiveness was found associated with a higher H-score. The mean H-score was found 8±2.1 in invasive tumors and in non-invasive tumors, it was 7. As for PR expression, the mean H-score was 5. Based on histological grading it was noted that well differentiated or Grade 1 tumor sample had the highest scores of the biomarkers where PTEN stood at 6, and ER at 7. The poorly differentiated (Grade 3) tumors expressed the lowest levels of PTEN at 3.2 ±1.8, ER at 4.5±2.2, and PR at 4.0±2.0 for the solution. Spearman’s rho test revealed statistically significant moderate positive correlation between ER and PR (rho = 0. 64, p < 0. 001) while PTEN has statistically significant weak negative correlation with both ER (rho = - 0. 32, p = 0. 02) and PR (rho = - 0.28, p = 0. 03). Conclusion: There was a significant difference in the PTEN, ER, and PR expression in invasive and non-invasive breast carcinoma as well as in different histological grades. PTEN, ER and PR were higher in non-invasive carcinomas than the invasive carcinomas and in well differentiated than in poorly differentiated carcinomas. Keywords: PTEN, Estrogen Receptor (ER), Progesterone Receptor (PR), invasive breast carcinoma, non-invasive breast carcinoma, histological grading, immunohistochemistry, biomarkers.