title: HER2 gene amplification in patients with prostate cancer: Evaluating a CISH-based method.
abstract: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most widespread malignancies in the world. The role of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in the pathogenesis and progression of human PCa remains poorly understood. In contradiction with breast cancer, studies on HER2 overexpression and gene amplification in PCa have produced varying results, although the HER2 oncogene has been implicated in the biology of numerous tumor types, and serves as a prognostic marker and therapeutic target in breast cancer. Technical challenges are considered the main reasons for data discrepancies. Amplification of the HER2 gene has previously been reported in PCa, in which it was associated with tumor progression. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of HER2 amplification in PCa. A total of 32 biopsy samples obtained from human prostate adenocarcinomas were evaluated by chromogenicin situhybridization (CISH) to determine the frequency of patients with HER2 gene amplifications. High copy numbers of HER2 were detected in 19 of the prostate tumors analyzed. The results of the present study suggested that, in patients without amplification of HER2, high levels of prostate-specific antigen or a high Gleason score were not significantly correlated with a high pathologic stage. Furthermore, amplification levels of the HER2 gene were directly associated with pathologic stage in patients with PCa. Therefore, the potential use of HER2 as a prognostic factor or therapeutic target for PCa warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran.
authors.forename: Nazanin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sharifi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran; Genetic Research Center, Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad 9177948564, Iran.
authors.forename: Arash
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salmaninejad
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferdosi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Ayatollah Madani Hospital, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad 9698154813, Iran.
authors.forename: Abolfazl Nesaei
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Bajestani
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran; Department of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1471613151, Iran.
authors.forename: Malihe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Khaleghiyan
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1471613151, Iran.
authors.forename: Mehrdad Asghari
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Estiar
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1471613151, Iran.
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jamali
authors.affiliation: Uro Oncology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1471613151, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nowroozi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, Cancer Institute of Iran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1419733141, Iran; Department of Medical Genetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1471613151, Iran.
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shakoori
keywords: amplification; chromogenic in situ hybridization; gene; human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; prostate cancer