RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ERBB2 AND E-CADHERIN EXPRESSION IN HUMAN BREAST-CANCER

Citation
J. Palacios et al., RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ERBB2 AND E-CADHERIN EXPRESSION IN HUMAN BREAST-CANCER, Virchows Archiv, 427(3), 1995, pp. 259-263
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Pathology
Journal title
ISSN journal
09456317
Volume
427
Issue
3
Year of publication
1995
Pages
259 - 263
Database
ISI
SICI code
0945-6317(1995)427:3<259:RBEAEE>2.0.ZU;2-D
Abstract
A recent in vitro study has suggested that overexpression of ERBB2 may mediate breast tumour progression and metastasis by inhibiting the tr anscription of the E-cadherin (E-CD) gene. To test this hypothesis in human breast cancer in vivo, we studied the relationship between the e xpression of both molecules in 247 breast carcinomas immunohistochemic ally. Five ductal carcinomas in situ overexpressed ERBB2 and showed pr eserved E-CD expression. Forty-four of 226 infiltrating ductal carcino mas (19.47%) showed ERBB2 overexpression, and a statistically signific ant relationship was found between ERBB2 overexpression and high histo logical grade. E-CD expression was preserved in 111 cases (49.1%) and correlated with the histological grade. How ever, no significant relat ionship was found between ERBB2 and E-CD expression. None of the 16 in filtrating lobular carcinomas expressed ERBB2 or E-CD. These observati ons in different histological types of breast carcinoma strongly argue against a role for ERBB2 as a transcriptional regulator of E-CD expre ssion in most human breast carcinomas in vivo.