title: MDM2 gene amplification in esophageal carcinoma.
abstract: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignancies diagnosed in the Western world with an increasing incidence noted for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Despite improvements in staging, surgical procedures and postoperative treatments, the overall survival of patients with EC remains low. Murine double minute‑2 (MDM2) acts as an oncogene by inducing the degradation of the tumor‑suppressor protein TP53. In order to evaluate the MDM2 gene amplification status in EAC and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we established a quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay, screening a total of 127 esophageal carcinoma cases for MDM2 amplification. Esophageal carcinoma cases with enhanced MDM2 gene copy numbers were further analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and MDM2 immunostaining. Among a total of 23 specimens (18%), identified by qPCR to possess elevated MDM2 gene copy numbers, one third (6.3%) showed a cluster‑like fluorescence pattern by FISH analyses and marked MDM2 protein immunostaining. MDM2 gene amplifications did not correlate with the occurrence of TP53 mutations. Due to the high therapeutic relevance of MDM2 overexpression, but the high cost of FISH, we suggest a primary screening of MDM2 copy number variations by qPCR, followed by detailed FISH analysis of the identified ECs.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michalk
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Jeannine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meinrath
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Künstlinger
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Koitzsch
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Drebber
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Merkelbach-Bruse
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Elfriede
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bollschweiler
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kloth
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Arnulf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hölscher
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Quaas
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Visceral Surgery, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Grimminger
authors.affiliation: Institute for Pathology, University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne 50924, Germany.
authors.forename: Margarete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Odenthal
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D009154:Mutation; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C497206:MDM2 protein, human; D051736:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2