Genetic alterations of the c-erbB-2 oncogene occur frequently in tubular adenocarcinoma of the stomach and are often accompanied by amplification of the v-erbA homologue.
We analyzed for alterations of the c-erbB-2 oncogene in 35 human stomach cancers and 8 cell lines derived from human stomach cancer. Amplification of c-erbB-2 was found in approximately 40% (5/13) of the tubular adenocarcinomas of the stomach examined, including 4 of 10 fresh tumors and one of 3 cell lines, but not in other histological types of stomach cancer examined (0/30), including 25 fresh tumors and 5 cell lines. This result strongly suggests that amplification of c-erbB-2 occurs frequently in tubular carcinomas in stomach cancer. Rearrangement of c-erbB-2 was also detected in one tubular adenocarcinoma. The rearranged fragment carried the 3' half, but not the 5' sequence, of the c-erbB-2 gene. Furthermore, one of the cellular homologues of v-erbA was amplified in 3 of 4 fresh tumors carrying the amplified c-erbB-2 gene. Both c-erbB-2 and the v-erbA homologue were expressed in all the stomach cancer cell lines tested.
Yokota
J
J
National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan.
Yamamoto
T
T
Miyajima
N
N
Toyoshima
K
K
Nomura
N
N
Sakamoto
H
H
Yoshida
T
T
Terada
M
M
Sugimura
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics*; D002460:Cell Line; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D009857:Oncogenes; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm