The clinical significance between activation of nuclear factor kappa B transcription factor and overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein in Taiwanese patients with breast cancer.
BACKGROUND
This study investigated the role of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) activity in human breast cancer with overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein, as well as its role on expression of different histological grades of cancer cells taken from Taiwanese breast cancer patients.


METHODS
Specimens were collected from 82 female breast cancer patients. The HER-2/neu oncoprotein was measured by immunohistochemistry. NF-kappaB activity expression was assessed by the electrophoretic mobility shift assay, and confirmed by the supershift technique using anti-P65 antibody in both breast cancer tissue and the adjacent normal tissue. The histological grades were measured by Modified Bloom-Richardson Grading Scheme.


RESULTS
Of the 82 cancer specimens, 81 (98.7%) showed higher or equal expressions of NF-kappaB activity when compared to the adjacent normal tissue. Fifty-five cases (67.1%) had higher levels of NF-kappaB activity in the cancerous tissue than in the adjacent normal tissue (p<0.005). With regard to tumor size, steroid receptors, stages, histological types, and node status, there were no statistically significant differences in NF-kappaB activity between cancerous tissues and adjacent normal tissues. However, significantly higher expressions of NF-kappaB activity were seen in those cases with positive HER2/neu oncoprotein, poorly differentiated histological grades, high nuclear pleomorphisms, and high mitotic counts (p<0.05). Positive HER-2/neu overexpression of oncoprotein had higher NF-kappaB activity (86%) than negative overexpression (60%) (p<0.05). It has been shown that the NF-kappaB activity increases in the HER-2/neu oncoprotein overexpression in human breast cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Overexpression of HER-2/neu gene could induce NF-kappaB activity in human breast cancer cells, as has been confirmed in other research on cell lines.
Hou
Ming Feng
MF
Department of Surgery, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC.
Lin
Shwu Bin
SB
Yuan
Shyng Shiou F
SS
Tsai
Shih Meng
SM
Wu
Szu Hua
SH
Ou-Yang
Fu
F
Hsieh
Jan Shih
JS
Tsai
Kun Bow
KB
Huang
Tsung Jen
TJ
Tsai
Li Yu
LY
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013624:Taiwan
D004396:Coloring Agents; D016328:NF-kappa B; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases