PRaG 3.0 therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma:A case report

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a highly fatal disease with limited effective treatment especially after first-line chemotherapy.The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER-2)immunohistochemistry(IHC)positive is associated with more aggressive clinical behavior and shorter overall survival in PDAC.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of multiple metastatic PDAC with IHC mismatch repair proficient but HER-2 IHC weakly positive at diagnosis that didn’t have tumor regression after first-line nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine and PD-1 inhibitor treatment.A novel combination therapy PRaG 3.0 of RC48(HER2-antibody-drug conjugate),radio-therapy,PD-1 inhibitor,granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-2 was then applied as second-line therapy and the patient had confirmed good partial response with progress-free-survival of 6.5 months and overall survival of 14.2 month.She had not developed any grade 2 or above treatment-related adverse events at any point.Percentage of peripheral CD8^(+) Temra and CD4^(+) Temra were increased during first two activation cycles of PRaG 3.0 treatment containing radiotherapy but deceased to the baseline during the maintenance cycles containing no radiotherapy.CONCLUSION PRaG 3.0 might be a novel strategy for HER2-positive metastatic PDAC patients who failed from previous first-line approach and even PD-1 immunotherapy but needs more data in prospective trials.

Inetetamab combined with S-1 and oxaliplatin as first-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive advanced gastric cancer have poor outcomes.Trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy is the first-line standard treatment for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer.Inetetamab is a novel anti-HER2 drug,and its efficacy and safety in gastric cancer have not yet been reported.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of the S-1 plus oxaliplatin(SOX)regimen combined with inetetamab as a first-line treatment for HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer.METHODS Thirty-eight patients with HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer or gastroeso-phageal junction adenocarcinoma were randomly divided into two groups:One group received inetetamab combined with the SOX regimen,and the other group received trastuzumab combined with the SOX regimen.After 4-6 cycles,patients with stable disease received maintenance therapy.The primary endpoints were progression-free survival(PFS)and overall survival(OS),and the secondary endpoints were the objective response rate,disease control rate,and adverse events(AEs).RESULTS Thirty-seven patients completed the trial,with 18 patients in the inetetamab group and 19 patients in the trastuzumab group.In the inetetamab group,the median PFS was 8.5 months,whereas it was 7.3 months in the trastuzumab group(P=0.046);this difference was significant.The median OS in the inetetamab group vs the trastuzumab group was 15.4 months vs 14.3 months(P=0.33),and the objective response rate was 50%vs 42%(P=0.63),respectively;these differences were not significant.Common AEs included leukopenia,thrombocytopenia,nausea,and vomiting.The incidence rates of grade≥3 AEs were 56%in the inetetamab group and 47%in the trastuzumab group(P=0.63),with no significant difference.CONCLUSION In the first-line treatment of HER2-positive advanced gastric cancer,inetetamab and trastuzumab showed comparable efficacy.The inetetamab group showed superior PFS,and both groups had good safety.

BIRC3 induces the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt pathway activation to promote trastuzumab resistance in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Trastuzumab-targeted therapy is currently the standard of care for advanced human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-positive gastric cancer.However,the emergence of resistance to trastuzumab poses significant challenges.AIM To identify the key genes associated with trastuzumab resistance.These results provide a basis for the development of interventions to address drug resistance and improve patient outcomes.METHODS High-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics were used to identify the differentially expressed pivotal gene BIRC3 and delineate its potential function and pathway regulation.Tumor samples were collected from patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer to evaluate the correlation between BIRC3 expression and trastuzumab resistance.We established gastric cancer cell lines with both highly expressed and suppressed levels of BIRC3,followed by comprehensive in vitro and in vivo experiments to confirm the involvement of BIRC3 in trastuzumab resistance and to elucidate its underlying mechanisms.RESULTS In patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer,there is a significant correlation between elevated BIRC3 expression in tumor tissues and higher T stage,tumor node metastasis stage,as well as poor overall survival and progressionfree survival.BIRC3 is highly expressed in trastuzumab-resistant gastric cancer cell lines,where it inhibits tumor cell apoptosis and enhances trastuzumab resistance by promoting the phosphorylation and activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt(PI3K-AKT)pathway in HER2-positive gastric cancer cells,both in vivo and in vitro.CONCLUSION This study revealed a robust association between high BIRC3 expression and an unfavorable prognosis in patients with HER2-positive gastric cancer.Thus,the high expression of BIRC3 stimulated PI3K-AKT phosphorylation and activation,stimulating the proliferation of HER2-positive tumor cells and suppressing apoptosis,ultimately leading to trastuzumab resistance.

Advances in targeted therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive in advanced gastric cancer

Emerging therapeutic methods represented by targeted therapy are effective supplements to traditional first-line chemoradiotherapy resistance.Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)is one of the most important targets in targeted therapy for gastric cancer.Trastuzumab combined with chemotherapy has been used as the first-line treatment for advanced gastric cancer.The safety and efficacy of pertuzumab and margetuximab in the treatment of gastric cancer have been verified.However,monoclonal antibodies,due to their large molecular weight,inability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier,and drug resistance,lead to decreased therapeutic efficacy,so it is necessary to explore the efficacy of other HER2-targeting therapies in gastric cancer.Small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors,such as lapatinib and pyrrotinib,have the advantages of small molecular weight,penetrating the blood-brain barrier and high oral bioavailability,and are expected to become the drugs of choice for perioperative treatment and neoadjuvant therapy of gastric cancer after validation by large-scale clinical trials in the future.Antibo-drug conjugate,such as T-DM1 and T-DXd,can overcome the resistance of monoclonal antibodies despite their different mechanisms of tumor killing,and are a supplement for the treatment of patients who have failed the treatment of monoclonal antibodies such as trastuzumab.Therefore,after more detailed stratification of gastric cancer patients,various gastric cancer drugs targeting HER2 are expected to play a more significant role.

Inetetamab combined with tegafur as second-line treatment for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-positive gastric cancer: A case report

BACKGROUND Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2)plays a vital role in tumor cell proliferation and metastasis.However,the prognosis of HER2-positive gastric cancer is poor.Inetetamab,a novel anti-HER2 targeting drug independently developed in China,exhibits more potent antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity than trastuzumab,which is administered as the first-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer in combination with chemotherapy.In this case,the efficacy and safety of inetetamab combined with tegafur was investigated as a second-line treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old male patient with HER2-positive gastric cancer presented with abdominal distension,poor appetite,and fatigue two years after receiving six cycles of oxaliplatin combined with tegafur as first-line treatment after surgery,followed by tegafur monotherapy for six months.The patient was diagnosed with postoperative recurrence of gastric adenocarcinoma.He received 17 cycles of a combination of inetetamab,an innovative domestically developed anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody,and tegafur chemotherapy as the second-line treatment(inetetamab 200 mg on day 1,every 3 wk combined with tegafur twice daily on days 1–14,every 3 wk).Evaluation of the efficacy of the second-line treatment revealed that the patient achieved a stable condition and progression-free survival of 17 months.He tolerated the treatment well without exhibiting any grade 3-4 adverse events.CONCLUSION Inetetamab combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancer demonstrates significant survival benefits and acceptable safety.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression level and combined positive score can evaluate efficacy of advanced gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Although treatment options for gastric cancer(GC)continue to advance,the overall prognosis for patients with GC remains poor.At present,the predictors of treatment efficacy remain controversial except for high microsatellite instability.AIM To develop methods to identify groups of patients with GC who would benefit the most from receiving the combination of a programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1)inhibitor and chemotherapy.METHODS We acquired data from 63 patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-negative GC with a histological diagnosis of GC at the Cancer Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between November 2020 and October 2022.All of the patients screened received a PD-1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy as the first-line treatment.RESULTS As of July 1,2023,the objective response rate was 61.9%,and the disease control rate was 96.8%.The median progression-free survival(mPFS)for all patients was 6.3 months.The median overall survival was not achieved.Survival analysis showed that patients with a combined positive score(CPS)≥1 exhibited an extended trend in progression-free survival(PFS)when compared to patients with a CPS of 0 after receiving a PD-1 inhibitor combined with oxaliplatin and tegafur as the first-line treatment.PFS exhibited a trend for prolongation as the expression level of HER2 increased.Based on PFS,we divided patients into two groups:A treatment group with excellent efficacy and a treatment group with poor efficacy.The mPFS of the excellent efficacy group was 8 months,with a mPFS of 9.1 months after excluding a cohort of patients who received interrupted therapy due to surgery.The mPFS was 4.5 months in patients in the group with poor efficacy who did not receive surgery.Using good/poor efficacy as the endpoint of our study,univariate analysis revealed that both CPS score(P=0.004)and HER2 expression level(P=0.015)were both factors that exerted significant influence on the efficacy of treatment the combination of a PD-1 inhibitor and chemotherapy in patients with advanced GC(AGC).Finally,multivariate analysis confirmed that CPS score was a significant influencing factor.CONCLUSION CPS score and HER2 expression both impacted the efficacy of immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in AGC patients who were non-positive for HER2.

Therapeutic strategies targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor signaling pathway in metastatic colorectal cancer

More than 1.9 million new colorectal cancer(CRC)cases and 935000 deaths were estimated to occur worldwide in 2020,representing about one in ten cancer cases and deaths.Overall,colorectal ranks third in incidence,but second in mortality.More than half of the patients are in advanced stages at diagnosis.Treatment options are complex because of the heterogeneity of the patient population,including different molecular subtypes.Treatments have included conventional fluorouracil-based chemotherapy,targeted therapy,immunotherapy,etc.In recent years,with the development of genetic testing technology,more and more targeted drugs have been applied to the treatment of CRC,which has further prolonged the survival of metastatic CRC patients.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 positive breast cancer

The body of evidence investigating human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER2)directed therapy in patients with breast cancer(BC)has been growing within the last decade.Recently,the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors(TKIs)has been of particular interest in the treatment of human malignancies.This literature commentary is intended to highlight the most recent findings associated with the widely-studied TKI agents and their clinical significance in improving the outcomes of HER2 positive BC.

Correlation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis in gastric cancer

AIM:To investigate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) gene amplification and protein expression in Chinese patients with resectable gastric cancer and the association with clinicopathological characteristics and survival.METHODS:One hundred and ninety-seven gastric cancer patients who underwent curative surgery procedures were enrolled into this study.HER2 gene amplification and protein expression were examined using fluorescence in-situ hybridization(FISH) and immunohistochemistry(IHC) analysis on formalin-fixed paraffinembedded gastric cancer samples from all patients.For scoring,Hofmann's HER2 gastric cancer scoring system was adopted.All cases showing IHC3+ or FISH positiv-ity were defined as HER2 positive.Patient clinicopathological data and survival information were collected.Finally,χ 2 statistical analysis was performed to analyze the HER2 positivity rate amongst the subgroups with different clinicopathological characteristics including;gender,age,tumor location,Lauren classification,differentiation,TNM staging,depth of invasion,lymph node metastases and distant metastasis.The probability of survival for different subgroups with different clinicopathological characteristics was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves plotted using log rank inspection.RESULTS:According to Hofmann's HER2 gastric cancer scoring criteria,31 cases(15.74%) were identified as HER2 gene amplified and 19 cases(9.64%) were scored as strongly positive for HER2 membrane staining(3+),25 cases(12.69%) were moderately positive(2+) and 153 cases(77.66%) were HER2 negative(0/1+).The concordance rate between IHC and FISH analyses was 88.83%(175/197).Thirty-six cases were defined as positive for HER2 gene amplification and/or protein expression,with 24 of these cases being eligible for Herceptin treatment according to United States recommendations,and 29 of these cases eligible according to EU recommendations.Highly consistent results were detected between IHC3+,IHC0/1 and FISH(73.68% and 95.42%),but low consistency was observed between IHC2+ and FISH(40.00%).The positivity rates in intestinal type and well-differentiated gastric cancer were higher than those in diffuse/mixed type and poorly-differentiated gastric cancer respectively(28.57% vs 13.43%,P = 0.0103;37.25% vs 11.64%,P < 0.0001),but were not correlated with gender,age,tumor location or TNM stage,depth of invasion,lymph node metastases and distant metastasis.In poorly-differentiated gastric cancer patients,those without lymph node metastasis showed a higher HER2 positivity rate than those with lymph node metastasis(26.47% vs 7.14%,P = 0.0021).This association was not present in thosepatients with well-differentiated gastric cancer(28.57% vs 43.33%,P = 0.2832).Within our patient cohort,26 cases were lost to follow-up.The median survival time for the remaining 171 patients was 18 mo.The median survival times of the HER2 positive and negative groups were 17 and 18.5 mo respectively.Overall survival was not significantly different between HER2-positive and negative groups(χ 2 = 0.9157,P = 0.3386),but in patients presenting well-differentiated tumors,the overall survival of the HER2-positive group was significantly worse than that of the HER2-negative group(P = 0.0123).In contrast,patients with poorly differentiated and diffuse/mixed subtype gastric cancers showed no significant differences in overall survival associated with HER2.Furthermore,the median survival time of the HER2 positive group did not show any statistically significant differences when compared to the subgroups of gender,age,tumor location,TNM classification,lymph node metastases and distant metastasis.CONCLUSION:Patients with intestinal type gastric cancer(GC),well-differentiated GC and poorly-differentiated GC without lymph node metastasis,may all represent suitable candidates for targeted therapy using Herceptin.

A CT-based radiomics nomogram for prediction of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status in patients with gastric cancer

Objective: To develop and validate a computed tomography(CT)-based radiomics nomogram for predicting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) status in patients with gastric cancer.Methods: This retrospective study included 134 patients with gastric cancer(HER2-negative: n=87;HER2-positive: n=47) from April 2013 to March 2018, who were then randomly divided into training(n=94) and validation(n=40) cohorts. Radiomics features were obtained from the CT images showing gastric cancer. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator(LASSO) regression analysis was utilized for building the radiomics signature. A multivariable logistic regression method was applied to develop a prediction model incorporating the radiomics signature and independent clinicopathologic risk predictors, which were then visualized as a radiomics nomogram. The predictive performance of the nomogram was assessed in the training and validation cohorts.Results: The radiomics signature was significantly associated with HER2 status in both training(P<0.001) and validation(P=0.023) cohorts. The prediction model that incorporated the radiomics signature and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA) level demonstrated good discriminative performance for HER2 status prediction,with an area under the curve(AUC) of 0.799 [95% confidence interval(95% CI): 0.704-0.894] in the training cohort and 0.771(95% CI: 0.607-0.934) in the validation cohort. The calibration curve of the radiomics nomogram also showed good calibration. Decision curve analysis showed that the radiomics nomogram was useful.Conclusions: We built and validated a radiomics nomogram with good performance for HER2 status prediction in gastric cancer. This radiomics nomogram could serve as a non-invasive tool to predict HER2 status and guide clinical treatment.

Role of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in gastric cancer:Biological and pharmacological aspects

Amplification of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene and overexpression of the HER2 protein is found in 15%-20% of patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer. The degree of HER2 overexpression and amplification varies with the location of the carcinoma, with higher expression in the gastroesophageal and proximal parts compared to the distal parts of the stomach. Further, HER2 overexpression and amplification also seems to be related to the Lauren histological classification, with higher levels found in the intestinal phenotype compared to the diffuse and mixed types. The prognostic properties of HER2 overexpression and amplification are still under debate, but a large number of studies seem to indicate that HER2 is a negative prognostic factor. The usefulness of HER2 targeted therapy in gastric cancer was demonstrated in the ToGA trial, where HER2-positive patients with advanced gastric and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma were randomized to receive 5-FU/capecitabine and cisplatin, either alone or in combination with trastuzumab. A statically significant gain in overall survival was seen in patients who received the combined treatment of trastuzumab and chemotherapy. Patients with a strong overexpression of the HER2 protein (IHC3+) specifically benefited from the treatment, with a median overall survival of 17.9 mo. As a consequence of the positive results of the ToGA trial, patients with advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma are now routinely tested for HER2. The ToGA trial must be characterized as a landmark in the treatment of gastric cancer and it has paved the way for a number of new HER2 targeted compounds such as pertuzumab, ado-trastuzumab emtansine, lapatinib, afatinib, and dacomitinib, which are currently undergoing phase II and III clinical testing. Overall, this review will discuss the current status of HER2 in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer and the future direction in relation to HER2 target therapy.

Alterations in the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-v-Akt pathway in gastric cancer

AIM:To investigate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)-vAkt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog signaling pathway.METHODS:We analyzed 231 formalin-fixed,paraffinembedded gastric cancer tissue specimens from Japanese patients who had undergone surgical treatment.The patients' age,sex,tumor location,depth of invasion,pathological type,lymph node metastasis,and pathological stage were determined by a review of the medical records.Expression of HER2 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry(IHC) using the HercepTest TM kit.Standard criteria for HER2 positivity(0,1+,2+,and 3+) were used.Tumors that scored 3+ were considered HER2-positive.Expression of phospho Akt(pAkt) was also analyzed by IHC.Tumors were considered pAkt-positive when the percentage of positive tumor cells was 10% or more.PI3K,catalytic,alpha polypeptide(PIK3CA) mutations in exons 1,9 and 20 were analyzed by pyrosequencing.Epstein-Barr virus(EBV) infection was analyzed by in situ hybridization targeting EBV-encoded small RNA(EBER) with an EBER-RNA probe.Microsatellite instability(MSI) was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction using the mononucleotide markers BAT25 and BAT26.RESULTS:HER2 expression levels of 0,1+,2+ and 3+ were found in 167(72%),32(14%),12(5%) and 20(8.7%) samples,respectively.HER2 overexpression(IHC 3+) significantly correlated with intestinal histological type(15/20 vs 98 /205,P = 0.05).PIK3CA mutations were present in 20 cases(8.7%) and significantly correlated with MSI(10/20 vs 9/211,P < 0.01).The mutation frequency was high(21%) in T4 cancers and very low(6%) in T2 cancers.Mutations in exons 1,9 and 20 were detected in 5(2%),9(4%) and 7(3%) cases,respectively.Two new types of PIK3CA mutation,R88Q and R108H,were found in exon1.All PIK3CA mutations were heterozygous missense singlebase substitutions,the most common being H1047R(6/20,30%) in exon20.Eighteen cancers(8%) were EBV-positive and this positivity significantly correlated with a diffuse histological type(13/18 vs 93/198,P = 0.04).There were 7 cases of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas(LELC) and 6 of those cases were EBV-positive(percent/EBV:6/18,33%;percent/all LELC:6/7,86%).pAkt expression was positive in 119(53%) cases but showed no correlation with clinicopathological characteristics.pAkt expression was significantly correlated with HER2 overexpression(16/20 vs 103/211,P < 0.01) but not with PIK3CA mutations(12/20 vs 107/211,P = 0.37) or EBV infection(8/18 vs 103/211,P = 0.69).The frequency of pAkt expression was higher in cancers with exon20 mutations(100%) than in those with exon1(40%) or exon9(56%) mutations.One case showed both HER2 overexpression and EBV infection and 3 cases showed both PIK3CA mutations and EBV infection.However,no cases showed both PIK3CA mutations and HER2 overexpression.One EBVpositive cancer with PIK3CA mutation(H1047R) was MSI-positive.Three of these 4 cases were positive for pAkt expression.In survival analysis,pAkt expression significantly correlated with a poor prognosis(hazard ratio 1.75;95%CI:1.12-2.80,P = 0.02).CONCLUSION:HER2 expression,PIK3CA mutations and EBV infection in gastric cancer were characterized.pAkt expression significantly correlates with HER2 expression and with a poor prognosis.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression in mixed gastric carcinoma

AIM: To investigate human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) amplification and protein expression in mixed gastric carcinoma.METHODS: Fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to detect HER2 amplification and protein expression in 277 cases of mixed gastric carcinoma. Protein staining intensity was rate as 1+, 2+, or 3+.RESULTS: Of the 277 cases, 114(41.2%) expressed HER2 protein. HER2 3+ staining was observed in 28/277(10.1%) cases, 2+ in 37/277(13.4%) cases, and 1+ in 49/277(17.7%) cases. A HER2 amplification rate of 17% was detected, of which 25/28(89.3%) were observed in the HER2 3+ staining group, 17/37(45.9%) in 2+, and 5/49(10.2%) in 1+. Of the 47 patients with HER2 amplification who received chemotherapy plus trastuzumab, 22 demonstrated median progression-free and overall survivals of 9.1 mo and 16.7 mo, respectively, which were significantly better than those achieved with chemotherapy alone(5.6 mo and 12.1 mo, respectively) in 19 previously treated patients(P s < 0.05). CONCLUSION: HER2 detection in mixed gastric carcinoma displays high heterogeneity. Relativelyquantitative parameters are needed for assessing the level of HER2 amplification and protein expression.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression is dependent upon epidermal growth factor receptor expression or activation in androgen independent prostate cancer

Aim： To investigate the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 （COX-2） and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） and the possible mechanism in the development in androgen independent prostate cancer （AIPC）. Methods： Immunohistochemistry was performed on paraffin-embedded sections with goat polyclonal against COX-2 and mouse monoclonal antibody against EGFR in 30 AIPC and 18 androgen dependent prostate cancer （ADPC） specimens. The effect of epidermal growth factor （EGF） treatments on the expression of COX-2 and signal pathway in PC-3 and DU-145 cells was studied using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR） and Western blot analysis. ELISA was used to measure prostaglandin E2 （PGE2） levels in the media of PC-3 and DU-145 incubated with EGF for 24 h. Results： COX-2 was positively expressed in AIPC and ADPC, which were predominantly in endochylema of prostate cancer （PCa） cells. Intense staining was seen in AIPC （80%） and in ADPC （55.5%）, but there was no significant association between the two groups. EGFR expression was also positive in the two groups （61.8% in ADPC and 90% in AIPC, P 〈 0.01）. A significant association was found between EGFR expression and a higher Gleason score （P 〈 0.05） or tumor stage （P 〈 0.05）. The expression of PGE2 was increased in PC-3 and DU-145 cells after being incubated with EGF. Both p38MAPK and PI-3K pathway were involved in the PC-3 cell COX-2 upregulation course. In DU- 145, only p38MAPK pathway was associated with COX-2 upregulation. Conclusion： EGFR activation induces COX-2 expression through PI-3K and/or p38MAPK pathways. COX-2 and EGFR inhibitors might have a cooperative anti-tumor effect in PCa.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 gene amplification in gastric cancer using tissue microarray technology

AIM:To assess human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2)-status in gastric cancer and matched lymph node metastases by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).METHODS:120 cases of primary gastric carcinomas and 45 matched lymph node metastases from patients with full clinicopathological features were mounted onto multiple-punch and single-punch tissue microarrays,respectively,and examined for HER2 overexpression and gene amplification by IHC and CISH.RESULTS:Twenty-four tumors (20%) expressed HER2 immunohistochemically.An IHC score of ≥ 2+ was observed in 20 tumors (16.6%).HER2 amplification was detected by CISH in 19 tumors (15.8%) and in their matched lymph node metastases.A high concordancerate was found between HER2 positivity (as detected by IHC) and HER2 gene amplification (as detected by CISH),since 19 of the 20 IHC positive cases were amplified (95%).All amplified cases had 2+ or 3+ IHC results.Amplification was associated with intestinal phenotype (P < 0.05).No association with grading,staging or survival was found.CONCLUSION:In gastric cancer,HER2 amplification is the main mechanism for HER2 protein overexpression and is preserved in lymph node metastases.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 protein expression in Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients correlates with cancer specific survival and increases after exposure to hormonal therapy

Aim： To investigate human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 （HER2） protein expression and gene amplification in Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients and their potential value as prognostic factors. Methods： Immunohistochemistry （IHC） was performed to investigate HER2 protein expression in prostate biopsy specimens from 104 Chinese metastatic prostate cancer patients. After 3-11 months of hormonal therapy, 12 patients underwent transurethral resection of the prostate （TURP）. HER2 protein expression of TURP specimens was compared with that of the original biopsy specimens. Of these, 10 biopsy and 4 TURP specimens with HER2 IHC staining scores ≥ 2＋ were investigated for HER2 gene amplification status by fluorescent in situ hybridization （FISH）. Results： Of the 104 prostate biopsy specimens, HER2 protein expression was 0, 1＋, 2＋ and 3＋ in 49 （47.1%）, 45 （43.3%）, 8 （7.7%） and 2 （1.9%） cases, respectively. There was a significant association between HER2 expression and Gleason score （P = 0.026）. HER2 protein expression of prostate cancer tissues increased in 33.3% of patients after hormonal therapy. None of the 14 specimens with HER2 IHC scores 〉 2＋ showed HER2 gene amplification. Patients with HER2 scores 〉 2＋ had a significantly higher chance of dying from prostate cancer than those with HER2 scores of 0 （P = 0.004） and 1＋ （P = 0.034）. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that HER2 protein expression intensity was an independent predictor of cancer-related death （P = 0.039）. Conclusion： An HER2 IHC score 〉 2＋ should be defined as HER2 protein overexpression in prostate cancer. Overexpression of HER2 protein in cancer tissue might suggest an increased risk of dying from prostate cancer. HER2 protein expression increases in some individual patients after hormonal therapy.

High levels of serum platelet-derived growth factor-AA and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 are predictors of colorectal cancer liver metastasis

AIM To develop predictive markers in blood for colorectal cancer liver metastasis.METHODS Twenty colorectal cancer patients were selected and divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 10 patients whose pathological TNM stage was ⅢC(T3-4N2M0), while another 10 patients with synchronous liver metastasis(TNM stage Ⅳ) were recruited for group B. During the surgical procedure, a 10-ml drainage vein(DV) blood sample was obtained from the DV of the tumor-bearing segment prior to the ligation of the DV. At the same time, a 10-ml peripheral vein(PV) blood sample was collected via peripheral venipuncture. The serum levels of 24 molecules that are potentially involved in the mechanism of liver metastasis in both DV blood and PV blood were analyzed by using high-throughput enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technology.RESULTS Univariate analysis revealed that platelet-derivedgrowth factor AA(PDGFAA) in DV blood(d PDGFAA)(P = 0.001), PDGFAA in PV blood(p PDGFAA)(P = 0.007), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 in PV blood(p HER2)(P = 0.001), p MMP7(P = 0.028), pR ANTES(P = 0.013), and pE GF(P = 0.007) were significantly correlated with synchronous liver metastasis. Multivariate analysis identified d PDGFAA(HR = 1.001, P = 0.033) and p HER2(HR = 1.003, P = 0.019) as independent predictive factors for synchronous liver metastasis. Besides, high peripheral HER2 level may also be a risk factor for metachronous liver metastasis, although the difference did not reach statistical significance(P = 0.06). Significant correlations were found between paired DV and PV blood levels for PDGFAA(r = 0.794, P < 0.001), but not for HER2(r = 0.189, P = 0.424).CONCLUSION PDGFAA in tumor drainage and HER2 in PV blood may be useful predictive factors for synchronous liver metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Evaluation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status of breast cancer using preoperative multidetector computed tomography with deep learning and handcrafted radiomics features

Objective:To evaluate the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)status in patients with breast cancer using multidetector computed tomography(MDCT)-based handcrafted and deep radiomics features.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 339 female patients(primary cohort,n=177;validation cohort,n=162)with pathologically confirmed invasive breast cancer.Handcrafted and deep radiomics features were extracted from the MDCT images during the arterial phase.After the feature selection procedures,handcrafted and deep radiomics signatures and the combined model were built using multivariate logistic regression analysis.Performance was assessed by measures of discrimination,calibration,and clinical usefulness in the primary cohort and validated in the validation cohort.Results:The handcrafted radiomics signature had a discriminative ability with a C-index of 0.739[95%confidence interval(95%CI):0.661-0.818]in the primary cohort and 0.695(95%CI:0.609-0.781)in the validation cohort.The deep radiomics signature also had a discriminative ability with a C-index of 0.760(95%CI:0.690-0.831)in the primary cohort and 0.777(95%CI:0.696-0.857)in the validation cohort.The combined model,which incorporated both the handcrafted and deep radiomics signatures,showed good discriminative ability with a C-index of 0.829(95%CI:0.767-0.890)in the primary cohort and 0.809(95%CI:0.740-0.879)in the validation cohort.Conclusions:Handcrafted and deep radiomics features from MDCT images were associated with HER2 status in patients with breast cancer.Thus,these features could provide complementary aid for the radiological evaluation of HER2 status in breast cancer.

HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22、HER-2联合检测在HPV阳性宫颈上皮内瘤变中的早期诊断价值

目的 探讨人乳头瘤病毒LI(HPVL1)蛋白、三结构域家族蛋白22(TRIM22)、人表皮生长因子受体-2(HER-2)联合检测在人乳头瘤病毒(HPV)阳性宫颈上皮内瘤变(CIN)中的早期诊断价值。方法 回顾性选取2021年1月至2023年6月承德医学院附属医院就诊的162例薄层液基细胞学(TCT)检查异常且HPV阳性的CIN患者为研究组,另选取同期经组织病理学诊断为正常宫颈组织的138名对象为对照组。免疫组织化学法检测宫颈组织中HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22、HER-2表达。比较对照组、研究组组织中HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22、HER-2表达,并比较不同分级CIN患者HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22、HER-2表达。多因素Logistic回归模型分析CIN发生的影响因素;受试者操作特征(ROC)曲线分析HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22、HER-2表达对CIN的早期诊断价值。结果 研究组组织中HPVL1蛋白及TRIM22蛋白阳性率分别为34.57%、32.72%,均显著低于对照组(74.64%、71.01%),HER-2阳性率为60.49%,显著高于对照组(10.87%),差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。CINⅠ级、CINⅡ级和CINⅢ级HPVL1蛋白和TRIM22阳性率呈下降趋势,HER-2阳性率呈上升趋势(P<0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示,宫颈组织中HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22及HER-2表达均为CIN的影响因素(OR=5.110、5.231、9.652,P<0.05)。ROC曲线结果显示,HPVL1蛋白表达诊断CIN的曲线下面积(AUC)为0.700,敏感度为65.43%;TRIM22表达诊断CIN的AUC为0.691,敏感度为67.28%;HER-2表达诊断CIN的AUC为0.748,敏感度为60.49%。三者联合诊断CIN的AUC为0.814,显著高于单独诊断的AUC(P<0.05)。结论 宫颈组织中HPVL1蛋白、TRIM22及HER-2表达影响CIN的发生、发展,三者联合对CIN具有较高的诊断价值。

双靶向新辅助药物联合不同化疗治疗HER-2阳性乳腺癌临床疗效比较

目的探讨双靶向新辅助药物联合不同化学药物治疗(简称化疗)的方案治疗人类表皮生长因子受体-2(HER-2)阳性乳腺癌的临床疗效。方法选取凉山彝族自治州第一人民医院2019年1月至2022年12月收治的HER-2阳性乳腺癌患者110例,按治疗方案的不同分为TcbHP组和AC-THP组,各55例。TcbHP组患者予曲妥珠单抗和帕妥珠单抗联合紫杉类(多西他赛或紫杉醇)和卡铂治疗,以21 d为1个周期,共治疗6个周期;AC-THP组患者予曲妥珠单抗和帕妥珠单抗联合蒽环类药物(吡柔比星或表柔比星)和环磷酰胺治疗,以21 d为1个周期,曲妥珠单抗和帕妥珠单抗及其他药物分别治疗4个周期,共8个周期。结果TcbHP组患者病理完全缓解率为61.80%,稍高于AC-THP组的50.90%(P>0.05)。治疗后,TcbHP组恶心,呕吐,腹泻,心脏毒性及手足综合征程度均显著低于AC-THP组(P<0.05);各肿瘤标志物[糖类抗原(CA19-9,CA125,CA153),癌胚抗原(CEA)]水平均显著低于AC-THP组(P<0.05);左心室射血分数(LVEF)及血清心肌肌钙蛋白I(cTnI)、肌酸激酶同工酶MB(CK-MB)、氨基末端脑钠肽前体(NT-proBNP)水平均无明显变化(P>0.05),且均显著优于AC-THP组(P<0.05)。结论TcbHP方案治疗HER-2阳性乳腺癌的疗效与AC-THP方案相当,但前者降低肿瘤标志物生成的作用更明显,且心脏毒性风险相对更低。