title: Demonstration of c-erbB-2 oncogene overexpression in salivary gland neoplasms by in situ hybridization.
abstract: The level of c-erbB-2 cellular mRNA in 18 salivary gland tumours and in 7 normal salivary glands was determined by in situ hybridization using [35S] labelled RNA probes. Computer assisted quantitation of the autoradiographic signal indicated a significantly higher c-erbB-2 expression in the tumour group (22.64 grains per cell +/- 3.79; 95% CI) as compared to the non-neoplastic salivary gland tissue (4.11 +/- 0.90; 95% CI). The c-erbB-2 expression as measured by grain counts per cell for the pleomorphic adenomas (16.29 +/- 1.87; 95% CI), mucoepidermoid carcinomas (31.52 +/- 0.08; 95% CI) and the acinic cell carcinomas (44.24 +/- 17.11; 95% CI) were significantly greater than the expression for the normal group. The acinic cell carcinomas exhibited the greatest level of expression. As observed at the individual cell level, the autoradiographic signal was distributed uniformly in the neoplastic tissues, regardless of the cell type. This study confirms the hypothesis that the c-erbB-2 oncogene is overexpressed at the mRNA level in salivary gland tumours.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Dardick
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Birek
mesh_terms: D008949:Adenoma, Pleomorphic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018267:Carcinoma, Acinar Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018277:Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D012468:Salivary Gland Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases