c-erbB2 oncoprotein expression, gene amplification, and chromosome 17 aneusomy in apocrine adenosis of the breast
✍ Scribed by Selim, Abdel-Ghani A.; El-Ayat, Ghada; Wells, Clive A.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2000
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 154 KB
- Volume
- 191
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0022-3417
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✦ Synopsis
Ampli®cation of the c-erbB2 oncogene and numerical aberrations of chromosome 17 occur in human breast carcinomas. Apocrine adenosis (AA) of the breast has been shown occasionally to have c-erbB2 overexpression and a possible premalignant potential, but little is known about cellular level genetic alterations in AA of the breast. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a new approach to detect these. In this study, a series of AA was studied by immunohistochemistry for c-erbB2 protein expression and by FISH using dual colour DNA probes for the c-erbB2 gene and the centromeric region of chromosome 17. Cell membrane immunostaining was seen in 10/18 (55.6%) AA cases, but unequivocal c-erbB2 gene ampli®cation or chromosome 17 aneusomy was not seen. The results of this study suggest that c-erbB2 overexpression without ampli®cation may occur early in breast oncogenesis. Ampli®cation and numerical chromosome aberrations may occur later in the pathogenesis of apocrine-derived breast carcinomas.