title: Negative HER2/neu amplification using immunohistochemistry and chromogenic in situ hybridization techniques in skin melanoma cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was performed to evaluate the amplification of HER-2/neu in patients with melanoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Amplification of HER-2/neu was evaluated in a group of patients with melanoma, referred to two referral centers in Tehran, using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients with mean age 57.9±19.5 years were enrolled in this study. The most frequent type of melanoma was acral, while lower limbs were the most frequent sites. The amplification of HER2/ neu was negative in 97.5% of patients with IHC and in 100% of patients with CISH technique. Only one case (2.5%) shows weak positive staining (+2) in IHC method. Fifty five percent of melanoma was ulcerative, and the most common stages of tumors were stages 4b and 3b. More than 47% of cases were in Clark level III, while the mean of Breslow thickness was 3.56±2.87 mm. The stage of the case that showed weakly positive staining (2+) in IHC was 4b.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The amplification of HER2/neu biomarker was negative in patients with melanoma, using both CISH and IHC techniques.
authors: Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran E-mail : nasrin.shayanfar@gmail.com.
authors: Nasrin
authors: N
authors: Shayanfar
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Bahari
authors: Zahra
authors: Z
authors: Safaie-Naraghi
authors: Kambiz
authors: K
authors: Kamyab
authors: Elmira
authors: E
authors: Gheytanchi
authors: Nima
authors: N
authors: Rezaei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human