Characterization of HER1 (c-erbB1) Status in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Using Fluorescence in situ Hybridization and Immunohistochemistry

Vol. 26, No. 1, 2005

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Research Article

Characterization of HER1 (c-erbB1) Status in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Using Fluorescence in situ Hybridization and Immunohistochemistry
Cristina Corzo^{a, d}, Ignacio Tusquets^c, Marta Salido^a, Josep Maria Corominas^b, Meritxell Bellet^c, Marta Suarez^c, Teresa Baró^b, Xavier Fabregat^c, Sergio Serrano^b, Francesc Solé^a

^aLaboratori de Citogenètica i Biologia molecular,
^bServei de Patologia, and
^cServei d´Oncologia Mèdica, Unitat de Recerca Traslacional en Tumors Sólids, Hospital del Mar, IMAS, and
^dDepartament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

Address of Corresponding Author

Tumor Biol 2005;26:25-30 (DOI: 10.1159/000084183)

Key Words

Epidermal growth factor receptor
Fluorescence in situ hybridization
HER1
Immunohistochemistry
Locally advanced breast cancer

Abstract

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a 170-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein encoded by the HER1 protooncogene, located at 7p12. This receptor is related to the pathogenesis of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the status of HER1 using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and immunohistochemistry in a series of 48 patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Before neoadjuvant chemotherapy, core biopsies were taken from patients with LABC and were processed into paraffin blocks. Biopsies were then studied using FISH with a HER1 probe (Vysis, Downers Grove, Ill., USA). They were also analyzed immunohistochemically using two different EGFR antibodies from DakoCytomation (Denmark, A/S) and from Zymed (San Francisco, Calif., USA). HER1 amplifications were not found, although 31% of the cases presented aneusomy of chromosome 7. Only 2 cases presented EGFR expression. LABC presented a low level of EGFR expression. HER1 amplification was not present in LABC, although the polysomy of chromosome 7 was a common finding.

Author Contacts

Cristina Corzo
Laboratori de Citogenètica i Biologia Molecular, Servei de Patologia
Unitat de Recerca Translacional en Tumors Sólids, IMAS, Hospital del Mar
Pg. Maritim 25-29, ES-08003 Barcelona (Spain)
Tel. +34 93 248 30 35, Fax +34 93 248 31 31, E-Mail E0062@imas.imim.es

Article Information

Received: July 13, 2004
Accepted after revision: October 19, 2004
Published online: February 28, 2004
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 30

Medline Abstract (ID 15741765)

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