title: Differential expression of c-Met, its ligand HGF/SF and HER2/neu in DCIS and adjacent normal breast tissue.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Technical University, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lindemann
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Resau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nährig
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kort
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Leeser
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Annecke
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Welk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vande Woude
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lengyel
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Harbeck
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases