title: HER-2/neu and bcl-2 in ovarian carcinoma: clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular study in patients with shorter and longer survival.
abstract: The bcl-2 protein is a membrane protein involved in prolonging cell survival by inhibiting apoptosis. The HER-2 oncogene, which is located on chromosome 17 and encodes for a tyrosine-kinase growth factor receptor, is amplified and HER-2/neu is overexpressed in 25% to 30% of breast carcinomas. The authors analyzed the bcl-2 expression and the bcl-2 gene and HER-2/neu overexpression and amplification in FIGO stage IIIC, serous, G3, ovarian carcinomas obtained from living patients who had no evident disease 5 years after primary treatment compared with ovarian carcinomas obtained from patients, matched for stage, grade of differentiation, and treatment, who had died of progression of disease no later than 2 years after primary treatment. bcl-2 overexpression was statistically correlated with progression of disease during first-line chemotherapy (P=0.021). The HER-2/neu status was found not to correlate with progression of disease during first-line chemotherapy. Both bcl-2 and HER-2/neu expression were not statistically associated with the clinical outcome of ovarian cancer patients. Gene amplification of the HER-2/neu chromosome 17 was found in all the HER-2/neu, 3+ score, positive-staining ovarian carcinomas. None of the analyzed samples revealed a translocation t(14;18)(q32;q21) in the bcl-2 gene. The knowledge of additional prognostic or even predictive factors, such as bcl-2 expression, in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma before the primary chemotherapeutic treatment may help in the management of patients who require a more tailored treatment. In addition, the gene amplification of the HER-2/neu suggests that HER-2 is a potential target for treatment in ovarian cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Pathology and Oncology, University of Florence, School of Medicine, Florence, Italy. mariarosaria.raspollini@unifi.it
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Raspollini
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Amunni
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Villanucci
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castiglione
authors.forename: Duccio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rossi Degl'Innocenti
authors.forename: Gianna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baroni
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paglierani
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Taddei
mesh_terms: D002886:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D004358:Drug Therapy; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases