HER2 gene status and the relationship with p21 protein expression in gastric cancer

Objective： We aimed to analysis the HER2 gene status and its relationship with p21 protein expression in gastric carcinoma. Methods： Fluorescence in situ hybridisation （FISH） and immunohistochemistry （IHC） techniques were used to detect HER2 gene status and p53 protein in 59 cases of gastric cancer. Results： FISH detection of HER2 gene amplification rate was 16.9% （10/59）, HER2 gene amplification in 49 cases without copy number gain and gene amplification were a total of 49.2% （29/59）. HER2 protein expression was 42.4% （25/59）, HER2 gene amplification rates in patients with ＋＋＋, ＋＋ HER2 protein expression were 3/3 and 5/8, while in patients with ＋ HER2 protein expression, it was 2/14, there was significant difference （P 0.05）. p21 protein expression rate was 49.2% （29/59）, HER2 gene amplification rates and p21 protein expression had significant difference in tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis （P 0.05）; had no statistical significance in histological type, age, gender differences （P 0.05）. Conclusion： HER2 gene amplification rate and gene copy number had positively correlation with p21 protein expression, HER2 gene status and expression of p21 protein combined detection can provide a reference value in gastric cancer metastasis, patient’s condition development and prognosis, it also can guide clinical development of individual treatment.

Study on the protein expression and amplification of HER2 gene in gastric cancer

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) gene amplification and protein expression and interpretation points in the stomach mixed carcinomas. Methods: Immunohistochemistry(IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) technique were used to detect HER2 gene amplification and expression of HER2 protein in 442 cases of gastric mixed carcinoma. Results: The expression rate of HER2 protein was 41.2%(182/442): the HER2 protein expression IHC 3+ extensive type in 18 cases, partial type in 21 cases, focal type in 8 cases, accounting for 10.6%(47/442); the HER2 protein expression IHC 2+ extensive type in 23 cases, partial type in 28 cases, focal type in 11 cases, accounting for 14.0%(62/442); the HER2 protein expression IHC 1+ extensive type in 27 cases, partial type in 31 cases, focal type in 15 cases, accounting for 16.5%(73/442). HER2 gene amplification rate of 442 cases was 16.1%(71/442). In 182 cases of HER2 protein positive expression, the HER2 gene cluster amplification rate was 14.8%(27/182), large granular amplification rate 11.0%(20/182), punctate amplification rate 6.0%(11/182) and high polysomy 7.1%(13/182). In 71 cases of HER2 gene amplification, there was 42 cases of HER2 protein expression IHC 3+, 22 cases of HER2 protein expression IHC 2+, and 7 cases of IHC 1+. Conclusion: HER2 detection of gastric mixed carcinoma has great heterogeneity, HER2 protein positive expression is divided into extensive type, partial type and focal type, and HER2 gene positive amplification is divided into cluster amplification, large granular amplification, punctate amplification and high polysomy. These typing of HER2 protein expression and HER2 gene amplification provide reference index to quantify for targeted therapeutic effect of anticancer drugs.

The Role of HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes in the Diagnosis of Breast Cancer among Sudanese Women

Background: Knowledge of HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes might be helpful for development of strategies for decreasing the burden of risk of breast cancer. Therefore, the aim of this study to detect the role of HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes expression in diagnosis of breast cancer in Sudanese women. Methodology: A total of 100 tissue samples obtained from patients with breast cancer in addition to 50 tissue samples obtained from patients with benign breast lesions, were detected the expression of HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: The prevalence of HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes, among cases was 6%, and 10% respectively. Conclusion: HER2/Neu and BRCA1 Genes have a considerable contribution to etiology of breast cancer in Sudan that requires further consideration.

HER2 and topoisomerase Ⅱα： possible predictors of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer patients

Background Surrogate markers may be used to assess the response to neoadjuvant treatment. The association between HER2 overexpression and favorable response to specific therapy in breast cancer is controversial, and the mechanism unclear. The purpose of the study was to evaluate HER2 and topoisomerase Ⅱα （Topo Ⅱα） as candidates for predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.Methods Between 1999 and 2006, seventy-six breast cancer patients who had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were studied. Regimens including either CEF （cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, 5-fluorouracil） or CMF （cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil） were given in more than three cycles to this group of patients. Protein expression of HER2 and Topo Ⅱα were determined by immunohistochemistry. The primary endpoint was pathological and clinical response.Results Of 76 primary breast cancer samples, 27 （35.5%） showed overexpression of either HER2 （25%） or Topo Ⅱα protein （10.5%）, whereas in 7 tumors （9.2%） both proteins were found to be overexpressed. Ten patients （13.2%） had a clinical complete response and 21 （27.6%） had a clinical partial response. Five women （6.6%） had a pathological complete response, 5 （6.6%） had microscopic residual disease, and 46 （60.5%） had macroscopic residual disease. HER2 and Topo Ⅱα overexpression was significantly associated with a favorable response （P 〈0.001 and P=0.005 respectively）.Conclusion Our study suggests that HER2 and Topo Ⅱα overexpression could be predictors of the response to neoadjuvant chemothrapy in both the CEF and CMF arms.