Coexpression of EGFR and HER-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A comparative study using immunohistochemistry correlated with gene amplification by fluorescencent in situ hybridization

  • Authors:
    • Jane Dancer
    • Hidehiro Takei
    • Jae Y. Ro
    • Mary Lowery-Nordberg
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: July 1, 2007     https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.1.151
  • Pages: 151-155
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Abstract

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the major pancreatic tumor and carries an extremely poor prognosis. Coexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the HER-2 oncoprotein has been reported to be related to the invasion and an adverse clinical outcome of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas. HER-2 amplification, as determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, has been identified as a positive predictor of response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in some other cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the coexpression rate and amplification status of HER-2 oncogene in EGFR positive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by immunohistochemistry and FISH. Overexpression of EGFR (≥2+) was seen in 65% (21/32) of the study cases. EGFR gene amplification was not detected in any of the 32 PDACs. Overexpression of HER-2 protein (≥2+) was seen in 17% (5/28) of the study cases and in 24% (5/21) of EGFR positive cases. None of the EGFR negative tumors showed HER-2 overexpression or gene amplification. The HER-2 gene locus was amplified in 11% (3/28) of the study cases and in 14% (3/21) of EGFR positive PDACs. There was 60% concurrence between HER-2 gene amplification and HER-2 protein expression in this study. These results suggest that HER-2 is an important cooperating member of the EGFR signal pathway in a subset of PDAC.

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July 2007
Volume 18 Issue 1

Print ISSN: 1021-335X
Online ISSN:1791-2431

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Spandidos Publications style
Dancer J, Takei H, Ro JY and Lowery-Nordberg M: Coexpression of EGFR and HER-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A comparative study using immunohistochemistry correlated with gene amplification by fluorescencent in situ hybridization. Oncol Rep 18: 151-155, 2007.
APA
Dancer, J., Takei, H., Ro, J.Y., & Lowery-Nordberg, M. (2007). Coexpression of EGFR and HER-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A comparative study using immunohistochemistry correlated with gene amplification by fluorescencent in situ hybridization. Oncology Reports, 18, 151-155. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.1.151
MLA
Dancer, J., Takei, H., Ro, J. Y., Lowery-Nordberg, M."Coexpression of EGFR and HER-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A comparative study using immunohistochemistry correlated with gene amplification by fluorescencent in situ hybridization". Oncology Reports 18.1 (2007): 151-155.
Chicago
Dancer, J., Takei, H., Ro, J. Y., Lowery-Nordberg, M."Coexpression of EGFR and HER-2 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A comparative study using immunohistochemistry correlated with gene amplification by fluorescencent in situ hybridization". Oncology Reports 18, no. 1 (2007): 151-155. https://doi.org/10.3892/or.18.1.151