In order to confirm the clinical application of a tissue microarrays method, the expression rate and relationship between factors related apoptosis, hormonal receptors and the clinical factors were investigated.

A tissue microarrays of 59 breast cancer tissues, and apoptosis related factors were examined by immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibodies.

The median age of the patients was 49.9 years and 86.4% had a pathological stage of over stage II. The average number of metastatic lymph nodes was 3.8. p53 expression was noted in 21 cases (35.6%) and was related to BcI-2, ER and PR expression. PTEN was expressed in 39 cases (66.1%) and related to FAS, BcI-2, ER and PR expression. Fas was expressed in 34 cases (57.6%) and related with PR and BAX expression. BAX expression was observed in 42 cases (71.2%) and was related to the metastatic axillary lymph nodes, and both BcI-2 and PR expression. BcI-2 expression was noted in 33 cases (55.9%) and related to ER and PR expression. ER was expressed in 34 cases (57.6%) and was related positively with PR expression.

The tissue microarrays method can be used for both screening and analyzing many factors or different tumor types. This new technique may be very powerful for the rapid identification of the tumor characteristics.