Expression of HER2 and its association with AP-2 in breast cancer.
The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and activator protein 2 (AP-2), as well as the prognostic significance of HER2 in breast cancer. HER2 and AP-2 expressions were immunohistochemically (IHC) analysed in a large prospective, consecutive series of 425 breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated between 1990 and 1995 at the Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. In a subset of patients (n = 71), the gene amplification status was examined by using a chromogenic in situ hybridisation (CISH) analysis. Expression of HER2 was studied in relation to AP-2, clinicopathological parameters and patients' survival. Pathological membranous overexpression of the HER2 receptor was seen in 13% of the carcinomas, which was related both to gene amplification (78% of the cases) and high nuclear expression of AP-2 (67%, P = 0.007). HER2-positivity was most often seen in carcinomas having both high nuclear and high cytoplasmic AP-2 expression (P < 0.001). In the univariate survival analyses HER2-positivity predicted a shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) (P < 0.0001) and a shorter breast cancer-related survival (BCRS) (P = 0.0063) in the whole patient group, as well as in the subgroup of node-negative patients. In the node-positive patients, HER2-positivity predicted only a shorter RFS. Combined expression of HER2 and nuclear AP-2 resulted in the separation of four groups with different prognoses, the best prognosis being for patients in the HER2-/AP-2+ group and the worse prognosis for those in the HER2+/AP-2- group. In the multivariate survival analyses, HER2-positivity independently predicted a shorter RFS in the whole patient group (P = 0.0067), as well as in the subgroup of node-positive patients (P = 0.0209). In conclusion, pathological membranous overexpression of the HER2 receptor in breast cancer is related both to gene amplification and a high AP-2 expression. Combining HER2 and AP-2 expressions may provide valuable information on the prognosis of breast cancer patients.
Pellikainen
J
J
Department of Pathology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland.
Naukkarinen
A
A
Ropponen
K
K
Rummukainen
J
J
Kataja
V
V
Kellokoski
J
J
Eskelinen
M
M
Kosma
V-M
VM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2; D014157:Transcription Factors