Oncogene amplification correlates with dense lymphocyte infiltration in human breast cancers: a role for hematopoietic growth factor release by tumor cells?
One hundred six primary breast cancer samples were analysed for c-erbB2, int-2, and c-myc gene amplification. Surgically confirmed nodal involvement was observed in 42%. Level of gene amplification was studied by Southern and/or slot blot techniques. Amplified c-erbB2 gene sequences were present in 21.5% of all samples. Int-2 was amplified in 13.1% and c-myc was amplified in 10.3%. In a non-parametric test (Kruskal-Wallis) a strong negative association was found between high levels of c-erbB2 amplification and absence of estrogen receptor (ER) (P = .0009) or progesterone receptor (PR) (P = .011) expression. No correlations were found between all or high levels of amplification of each oncogene separately or combined with T, N, grade, multifocality of tumor, or associated carcinoma in situ. There was a trend approaching statistical significance for patients with c-erbB2 amplifications to have positive lymph nodes at surgery (P = 0.09). A somewhat surprising finding however was a very strong association between oncogene amplification and dense lymphocyte infiltration of the tumor (P = .05). This correlation is even stronger when only high levels of amplification are considered, either for each oncogene separately (P = .0048) or in combination (P = .0007). We propose that malignant cell cytokine production may help explain this observation.
Tang
R P
RP
Département de Médecine Oncologique, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Kacinski
B
B
Validire
P
P
Beuvon
F
F
Sastre
X
X
Benoit
P
P
dela Rochefordière
A
A
Mosseri
V
V
Pouillart
P
P
Scholl
S
S
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005784:Gene Amplification; D016259:Genes, myc / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000032:analysis; D009857:Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D011379:Prognosis; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins
D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D051153:Wnt Proteins; D029961:Zebrafish Proteins