Expression and loss of heterozygosity of c-met proto-oncogene in primary breast cancer.
The c-met proto-oncogene encodes the receptor to hepatocyte growth factor-scatter factor (HGF-SF), a mesenchyme-derived cytokine with cell-dissociating, invasion, and angiogenic properties. The expression of c-met in breast cancer is the subject of controversy; 111 primary breast cancers were examined for LOH of c-met by Southern blot electrophoresis. c-met expression was measured in a further 40 patients with breast cancer and in 8 patients with benign breast disease by flow cytometry. LOH of c-met was detected in only 4% of informative breast cancers. Expression of c-met was significantly greater in patients with breast cancer than in those with benign breast disease (P < 0.01, Mann-Whitney). There was no correlation however between increased c-met expression and clinicopathological prognostic variables. These results do not support the role of c-met as a tumour suppressor gene in breast cancer but suggest increased receptor expression in malignant breast disease. The significance of this increased expression in breast cancer is the subject of further investigation.
Nagy
J
J
University Department of Surgery, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
Clark
J S
JS
Cooke
A
A
Campbell
A M
AM
Connor
J M
JM
Purushotham
A D
AD
George
W D
WD
D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases