title: In situ hybridization of chromosome 6 on fine-needle aspirates from breast carcinomas: comparison of numerical abnormalities and ER/PgR status and staining pattern.
abstract: The estrogen receptor (ER) gene is located on chromosome 6. The aim of our study was to investigate whether numerical chromosomal aberrations were reflected in estrogen/progesterone receptor (PgR) status and staining pattern. Fine-needle aspirates from 51 breast carcinomas were investigated immunocytochemically for ER/PgR and by in situ hybridization technique using digoxigenin-labeled alpha-satellite probe for chromosome 6. Cases with > or = 70% two-signal nuclei were regarded as disome; the remaining tumors showed aneusomy with a variable number of signals. Aneusomy was found in 32 tumors (63%), whereas 19 (37%) had a normal number of chromosome 6. Chromosomal gain occurred in all aneusome cases except one. ER- and/or PgR-positive tumors had an equal distribution of disomy and aneusomy. Variable ER staining pattern or ER and/or PgR negativity was associated with numerical aberrations in chromosome 6 in 76% of the tumors. Cancers with uniform ER staining pattern all had normal chromosome number.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Beraki
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Jebsen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ormerod
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Naess
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002896:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 6; D004396:Coloring Agents; D015342:DNA Probes; D004076:Digoxigenin; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D015342:DNA Probes; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D004076:Digoxigenin