Amplification of the c-erbB-2 gene detected by FISH in gastric cancers.
The amplification and overexpression of the c-erbB-2 gene are considered to be implicated in the process of carcinogenesis of a variety of human tumors. The amplification and overexpression of c-erbB-2 were investigated in 48 surgically resected human gastric cancers by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. DNA ploidy was determined by flow cytometry. The c-erbB-2 amplification was demonstrated as a cluster of signals, suggesting homogeneously staining region (HSR), in three tumors (6.3%) accompanied by the overexpression of its protein. Such overexpression was detected in another tumor without amplification of the c-erbB-2 gene. All tumors with amplification and overexpression of c-erbB-2 were differentiated adenocarcinoma histologically, but only 10.3 and 13.8% of differentiated carcinomas showed amplification and over-expression of the c-erbB-2 gene, respectively. There was no relationship between the amplification and overexpression of c-erbB-2 and the depth of tumor invasion and lymph node involvement. Three of four cases with overexpression of c-erbB-2 were classified into DNA aneuploid tumor.
Sato
T
T
Department of Pathology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, Ube, Japan.
Abe
K
K
Kurose
A
A
Uesugi
N
N
Todoroki
T
T
Sasaki
K
K
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011003:Ploidies; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases