title: C-erbB-2 mRNA in breast cancer specimens that exhibit membrane or cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for c-erbB-2.
abstract: Immunocytochemically detected membrane staining for c-erbB-2 in 20-30% of breast cancers correlates with a poorer prognosis for the patients. However, cytoplasmic immunoreactivity for c-erbB-2 has also been found in some specimens using some particular antisera, and it has been suggested that this staining arises from a protein located in the mitochondrial membrane. It is possible that this protein is an alternative form of c-erhB-2. In the present article, adjacent histological sections have been stained for c-erbB-2 immunocytochemically, and for c-erbB-2 mRNA by in situ hybridization. The results show the absence of c-erbB-2 mRNA in regions of cancer specimens that exhibit cytoplasmic staining for c-erbB-2, strongly suggesting that cytoplasmic staining for c-erbB-2 is an immunocytochemical artefact.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Tissue Bank Research Centre, Liverpool, UK.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Rudland
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barraclough
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases