Muscatello Luisa Vera, Di Oto Enrico, Sarli Giuseppe, Monti Valentina, Foschini Maria Pia, Benazzi Cinzia, Brunetti Barbara
1 Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Vet Pathol. 2019 Mar;56(2):230-238. doi: 10.1177/0300985818808531. Epub 2018 Nov 1.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a tyrosine kinase receptor overexpressed in a subset of breast cancer due to HER2 gene amplification. HER2 protein is expressed in feline mammary carcinomas, but little is known about its cytogenetic alterations. The aim of this study was to evaluate HER2 gene amplification status and its correlation with HER2 protein expression in feline mammary carcinomas. Feline mammary carcinomas were retrospectively selected and immunohistochemically (IHC) evaluated for HER2 protein expression. All the HER2 IHC-positive (3+) and equivocal (2+) cases and a subset of negative cases (0/1+) were selected for fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Dual-core tissue microarrays were prepared for FISH. IHC and FISH were evaluated according to the 2013 American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists guidelines. The study included 107 feline mammary carcinomas from 88 queens. HER2 protein expression was positive (3+) in 7 cases (6.5%), equivocal (2+) in 48 cases (45%), and negative (0/1+) in 52 cases (48.5%). HER2 status was indeterminate in 8 feline mammary carcinomas (12%), amplified in 3 (4%), equivocal in 4 (6%), and nonamplified in 53 (78%). HER2 gene amplification and protein expression were significantly positively correlated ( R = 0.283; P < .0001). HER2 gene is amplified in a subset of feline mammary carcinomas despite the HER2 positive or equivocal protein expression, but it remains to be determined if the HER2 amplification is a gene alteration that drives mammary tumor carcinogenesis or only a bystander passenger mutation.
人表皮生长因子受体2(HER2)是一种酪氨酸激酶受体,由于HER2基因扩增,在一部分乳腺癌中过度表达。HER2蛋白在猫乳腺肿瘤中表达,但对其细胞遗传学改变知之甚少。本研究的目的是评估猫乳腺肿瘤中HER2基因扩增状态及其与HER2蛋白表达的相关性。回顾性选择猫乳腺肿瘤,并通过免疫组织化学(IHC)评估HER2蛋白表达。选择所有HER2 IHC阳性(3+)和可疑(2+)病例以及一部分阴性病例(0/1+)进行荧光原位杂交(FISH)。制备双核组织微阵列用于FISH。根据2013年美国临床肿瘤学会/美国病理学家协会指南评估IHC和FISH。该研究包括来自88只母猫的107例猫乳腺肿瘤。HER2蛋白表达阳性(3+)7例(6.5%),可疑(2+)48例(45%),阴性(0/1+)52例(48.5%)。8例猫乳腺肿瘤(12%)HER2状态不确定,3例(4%)扩增,4例(6%)可疑,53例(78%)未扩增。HER2基因扩增与蛋白表达呈显著正相关(R = 0.283;P <.0001)。尽管HER2蛋白表达为阳性或可疑,但HER2基因在一部分猫乳腺肿瘤中扩增,不过HER2扩增是驱动乳腺肿瘤发生的基因改变还是仅仅是一个旁观者乘客突变,仍有待确定。