title: p53 and HER-2 alterations in renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate protein expression and genetic aberrations of p53 and HER-2 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) as well as possible association of p53 and HER-2 abnormalities with the tumor behavior of RCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from 70 patients with RCC were studied. Protein expression of p53 and HER-2 was assessed immunohistochemically. Following deoxyribonucleic acid extraction from the paraffin sections using a microdissection technique, p53 gene mutations within exons 5 to 8 were examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) single-strand conformation polymorphism and HER-2 gene amplification by a differential PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 70 RCCs, 16 (22.9%) showed protein expression of p53, with 7 (10%) demonstrating mutations within exons 5 to 7. Additionally, 28 RCCs (40%) displayed protein expression of HER-2, with 12 (17.1%) demonstrating gene amplification. All cases showing p53 mutations or HER-2 amplification represented protein expression of p53 or HER-2, respectively. No cases with negative immunostaining for p53 or HER-2 protein displayed positive results at gene level. Statistical analysis revealed a close relationship between p53 protein expression and the tumor grade, as well as a significant association of HER-2 protein expression and gene amplification with the tumor stage of RCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our observations suggest that the abnormalities of p53 and HER-2 may be involved in the pathogenesis of RCC and that other mechanisms leading to protein expression of p53 and HER-2 may coexist within a single tumor in addition to the genetic aberrations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kagawa Medical University, Kita-gun, Japan.
authors.forename: X H
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Takenaka
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018734:Genes, erbB-2 / Q000235:genetics*; D016158:Genes, p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D018739:Oncogene Proteins v-erbB / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D018739:Oncogene Proteins v-erbB; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53