Her-2/neu gene amplification in paraffin-embedded tissue sections of meningioma patients.
OBJECTIVE
Meningiomas arise from the meningoendothelial cells and are one of the most common tumors of the central nervous system. The HER-2/neu gene is located on the 17q11.2-q12 chromosome region and encodes an epidermal growth factor receptor. HER- 2/neu gene amplification and/or over expression have been studied most widely in breast carcinomas. Previous studies have shown the importance of HER-2/neu gene amplification on the prognosis of meningioma cases. In this study, we aimed to detect HER-2/neu gene copy number in archive materials of 55 meningioma patients by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH).


METHODS
The patients included in the study had undergone surgery in the neurosurgery department of our hospital between 1999 and 2002. Tissue samples were classified histologically according to WHO 2007 guidelines. Interphase FISH was performed on 3 to 4microm thick paraffin embedded tissue sections for the detection of HER- 2/neu gene amplification status.


RESULTS
We found HER-2/neu gene amplification in 7 (12.73%) patients. Another 2 patients had only one signal for the HER-2/neu region. We confirmed this finding by a second hybridization with the chromosome 17p13.1 (p53) probe.


CONCLUSIONS
According to our results, HER-2/neu amplification could be regarded as an additional genetic factor playing role in meningioma pathogenesis together with known chromosomal abnormalities.
Ozer
Ozge
O
Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Medical Genetics, Ankara, Turkey.
Sahin
Feride I
FI
Aydemir
Fatih
F
Ozen
Ozlem
O
Yilmaz
Zerrin
Z
Altinörs
Nur
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D008579:Meningioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human