Integrated assessment of potential value of erbB-2 amplification or expression status as novel therapy target in Chinese children and adolescents with osteosarcoma.
BACKGROUND
Targeted tumor therapies have been making rapid progress in recent years, and the erbB-2 oncogene is a suitable target. There was much discussion about the level of erbB-2 in osteosarcoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the erbB-2 amplification or expression status in osteosarcoma.


METHODS
Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and DNA probes for erbB-2 and centromere 17 were used to examine the erbB-2 gene amplification status in 32 osteosarcoma samples, and expression of erbB-2 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).


RESULTS
None of the 32 osteosarcomas was observed by FISH to have the erbB-2 gene amplified, and no distinguishable membrane staining was seen in any case yet, nevertheless, erbB-2 overexpression was present in 6 tumor samples by RT-PCR.


CONCLUSIONS
The status of erbB-2 gene amplification and membrane overexpression is rare in osteosarcomas, and might suggest that the erbB-2 target agent should not be applied to osteosarcomas as single treatment.
Shang
Jian
J
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150001, China.
Bi
Zheng-gang
ZG
Ji
Hong-fei
HF
Wang
Wen-bo
WB
D000293:Adolescent; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D019281:Dimerization; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018734:Genes, erbB-2; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases