Receptor tyrosine kinases in sinonasal undifferentiated carcinomas—Evaluation for EGFR, c-KIT, and HER2/neu expression
✍ Scribed by Rebecca D. Chernock; Arie Perry; John D. Pfeifer; Joseph A. Holden; James S. Lewis Jr
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2009
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 659 KB
- Volume
- 31
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1043-3074
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Background.
Our objective was to identify the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), c‐KIT (CD117), and HER2/neu in sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma (SNUC).
Methods.
Immunohistochemistry for c‐KIT (CD117), EGFR, and HER2/neu was performed on paraffin‐embedded tissue from SNUC cases. A search for activating mutations in c‐kit exons 9, 11, 13, and 17 or gene amplification was undertaken by high‐resolution DNA melting curve analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for c‐kit and chromosome 4, respectively.
Results.
By immunohistochemistry, 9 of 11 cases (81.8%) were diffusely (4+) positive for c‐KIT, 3 of 11 cases (27.3%) were positive for EGFR, and none of the cases were positive for HER2/neu. Neither activating mutations nor gene amplification of c‐kit were detected in any of the 8 assessable tumors.
Conclusion.
c‐KIT is frequently expressed in SNUC. However, the overexpression is not due to activating mutations or gene amplification. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2009