title: Overexpression of c-erbB2 protein correlates with disease-stage and chromosomal gain at the c-erbB2 locus in non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Overexpression of the c-erbB2 protein is observed in a variety of malignancies including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to determine the rate of c-erbB2-overexpression in our tumour collection and to clarify its correlation with the chromosomal status at the c-erbB2 locus 17q21 in NSCLC. Eighty-nine NSCLC were analysed immunohistochemically using a polyclonal c-erbB2 antibody (DAKO). The staining was scored according to the guidelines of the Clinical Trial Assay recommendations (0-3+). Of these, 44 cases were also analysed by comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH). Overexpression was observed in 37% of the cases (score>1) which was associated with higher disease stages and a positive nodal status in adenocarcinomas. Chromosomal gains at 17q21 were clearly correlated with overexpression of the gene (P=0.009). In addition, there was a highly significant correlation between the c-erbB2 expression comparing the whole section immunostaining analysis and a 127 lung tumour tissue array which included 74 of the 89 cases that were analysed by the classical procedure. We conclude that c-erbB2 is a marker of tumour progression in NSCLC which can be observed on protein level and reflects chromosomal alterations at 17q21.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Charité University Hospital, Schumannstr. 20/21, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kristiansen
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schlüns
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dietel
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Petersen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011003:Ploidies; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases