Objective:To study the expression of p73α and its clinical significance in breast carcinoma.Methods:The expression of p73α was detected by immunohistochemistry in 41 breast carcinoma tissues

13 benign breast tumor tissues and 8 normal breast tissues.Results:The positive expression of p73α was found in 20/41(48.8%) of breast carcinoma tissues

1/13(7.7%)of benign breast tumor tissues

0/8(0)of normal breast tissues.The positive expression rate of p73α in breast carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than that in benign breast tumor tissues or normal breast tissues(P<0.05).P53 positive expression rate in breast carcinoma group was 48.8%(20/41);p21 positive expression rate was 78%(32/41);p73α expression displayed a positive correlation with p53 instead of p21.Significant associations were observed among the positive expression of p73α and tumor with lymph node metastases

TNM stages of the cancer(P<0.05).Conclusion:These results suggest that there is up-regulation of p73α in breast carcinoma tissues and up-regulation of p73α may be implicated in the tumorigenesis of breast carcinoma as a molecular alteration.