title: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene amplification in high-grade gliomas: Western Indian tertiary cancer center experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  EGFR gene amplification is the hallmark of primary glioblastomas; however, its frequency in patients of Indian origin remains sparsely investigated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore the frequency of EGFR amplification in high grade gliomas (HGGs) in Indian patients and to study its correlation with p53 protein overexpression.
  
  
  METHODS
  324 cases of HGGs, where EGFR gene amplification was evaluated by fluorescence in-situ hybridization formed the study group. Ratio of >2 was considered as EGFR gene amplification. Immunohistochemically, p53 overexpression was evaluated and graded as positive for strong intensity staining in more than 50% of tumour cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  249 patients were male and 75 female (M: F-3.3:1); their age range was 8-91 years [paediatric glioblastoma (pGBM; 8-18yrs; n = 24)], adult HGGs [>18yrs; n = 300]}. 258 patients were having a GBM [including 31 with a GBM with oligodendroglioma component (GBM-O)], 31 with a gliosarcoma, 13 with an anaplastic astrocytoma (AA), 12 with an anaplastic oligodendroglioma (AO), and 10 with an anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (AOA). 79/233 cases (34%) with an adult GBM, (including 10/31 with a GBM-O [32.2%]), 1/31 (3.2%) with a GS and 1/10 (10%) with an AOA showed EGFR gene amplification. None of the pGBMs (n = 24) showed amplification. Amplification was seen in 19/81 (23.4%) of diffuse p53 protein positive cases and 53/143 (37%) of cases with focal or negative p53 protein expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  34% of our adult GBM patients showed EGFR gene amplification. The amplification was uncommonly associated with a strong diffuse p53 protein expression.
authors.forename: Divya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shelly
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Tata Memorial Hospital and Advanced Centre for Treatment Research and Education in Cancer, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Sridhar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epari
authors.forename: Iteeka
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Trupti
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.forename: Sharique
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Aliasgar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moiyadi
authors.forename: Girish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chinnaswamy
authors.forename: Tejpal
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Jayantsastri
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goda
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shetty
authors.forename: Shubhada V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.forename: Sangeeta B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Rakesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jalali
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics*; D018316:Gliosarcoma / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000235:genetics; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors