title: [Detection of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene in invasive breast cancer by fluorescence in situ hybridization and research of its association with tumor characteristics].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the concordance of detecting human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) status of patients with invasive breast cancer by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for gene amplification and immunohistochemistry (IHC) for protein overexpression and to evaluate the association between tumour characteristics and HER-2 gene amplification.
  
  
  METHODS
  The HER-2 status was evaluated in 41 invasive ductal breast carcinomas by both FISH and IHC. The associations between HER-2 gene amplification and other clinicopathological factors, tumour grade, estrogen receptor (ER), tumor emboli, lymph node status, were evaluated using the chi-square test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HER-2 amplifications by FISH were seen in 15 patients, including 8 IHC+++ patients (88.89%, 8/9 of all+++ cases), 6 IHC++ patients (42.68%, 6/14 of all++ cases), 1 IHC+ patient (8.33%, 1/12 of all+ cases) and none IHC negative patient (0%, 0/6 of all negative cases). ER negative or weak positive breast cancers were more often HER-2 FISH positive than ER strong positive cancers (P=0.018). HER-2 amplifications were more often negative in tumor emboli negative or lymph node negative patients than in tumor emboli positive or lymph node positive patients (P=0.000, P=0.025). There was no statistical difference in HER-2 gene amplification among different grades of tumors(P=0.095).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HER-2 amplification in breast cancer can be determined by FISH accurately. ER is negatively associated with HER-2 amplification, whereas tumor emboli and lymph node status are positively associated with HER-2.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Peking University School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiao-long
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jiang-feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DU
authors.forename: Jian-ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human