Differential expression of c-Met, its ligand HGF/SF and HER2/neu in DCIS and adjacent normal breast tissue.
OBJECTIVE
Tyrosine kinase receptors Her2/neu and c-Met play an important role in breast cancer development and progression. Our aim was to determine the expression of c-Met, its ligand hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) and Her2/neu in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) lesions of the breast (n = 39) by two different immunocytochemical techniques, classical immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence, and to correlate their expression levels with histopathological and clinical characteristics.


RESULTS
Both methods revealed similar c-Met staining patterns in both the in situ component and the adjacent normal tissue (P < 0.001). However, an imbalance in c-Met expression between tumour and surrounding normal tissue was correlated with high-grade DCIS (Van Nuys Grade 3). No correlation existed between Her2/neu and c-Met expression. High HGF/SF immunoreactivity was observed in 43.6% of the cases, yet the adjacent cellular stroma revealed only low levels of HGF/SF. No correlation existed between c-Met, Her2/neu or HGF/SF expression and clinicopathological factors.


CONCLUSIONS
An imbalance in c-Met expression between tumour and surrounding normal tissue is associated with an aggressive DCIS phenotype. Moreover, c-Met and HGF/SF may contribute to tumour development by different means than those controlled by Her2/neu.
Lindemann
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Technical University, Munich, Germany.
Resau
J
J
Nährig
J
J
Kort
E
E
Leeser
B
B
Annecke
K
K
Welk
A
A
Schäfer
J
J
Vande Woude
G F
GF
Lengyel
E
E
Harbeck
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases