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Aberrations of ERBB2 and TOP2A genes in breast cancer.

ABSTRACT: Copy number changes in TOP2A have frequently been linked to ERBB2 (HER2) amplified breast cancers. To study this relationship, copy number changes of ERBB2 and TOP2A were investigated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in two cell lines; one characterized by having amplification of both genes and the other by having amplification of ERBB2 and deletion of TOP2A. The characteristics are compared to findings on paired ERBB2 and TOP2A data from 649 patients with invasive breast cancer from a previously published biomarker study. The physical localization of FISH signals in metaphase spreads from cell lines showed that simultaneous amplification is not a simple co-amplification of a whole amplicon containing both genes. Most gene signals are translocated to abnormal marker chromosomes. ERBB2 genes but not TOP2A genes are present in tandem amplicons, leading to a higher ERBB2 ratio. This observation was confirmed by patient FISH data: among 276 (43% of all patients) abnormal tumors, 67% had different ERBB2 and TOP2A status. ERBB2 amplification with normal TOP2A status was found in 36% of the abnormal tumors (15% of all patients). Simultaneous amplification of both genes was found in 28% of the abnormal tumors (12% of all patients) while TOP2A deletion and ERBB2 amplification was observed in 16% of the abnormal cases (8% of all patients). A small number of tumors had TOP2A amplification (4%) or deletion (6%) without simultaneous changes of the ERBB2 gene. ERBB2 deletion was also observed (5%) but only in tumors with simultaneous TOP2A deletion. The average gene/reference ratio was significantly different: 5.0 for TOP2A but 7.2 for ERBB2 in the amplified tumors (P<0.01). Amplification of the two genes may be caused by different mechanisms, leading to higher level of amplification for ERBB2 compared to TOP2A. In the majority of breast cancer patients, simultaneous aberration of ERBB2 and TOP2A is not explained by simple co-amplification.

SUBMITTER: Nielsen KV

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5527893 | biostudies-other | 2010 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other

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Project description:Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with various histological features and molecular markers. These are utilized for the prediction of clinical outcome and therapeutic decision making. In addition to well established markers such as HER2 overexpression and estrogen and progesterone receptor (ER and PR) status, chromosomal instability is evolving as an important hallmark of cancers. The HER2/TOP2A locus is of great importance in breast cancer. The copy number variability at this locus has been proposed to be a marker for the degree of chromosomal instability. We therefore developed a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) assay to evaluate allelic imbalance at the HER2/TOP2A locus in three different entities of primary breast tumors.Eleven SNPs were carefully selected and detected by real time PCR using DNA extracted from paired (histologically normal and tumor) paraffin-embedded tissues. Primary breast tumors of 44 patients were included, 15 tumors with HER2 overexpression, 16 triple negative tumors, defined by the absence of HER2 overexpression and a negative ER and PR status and 13 ER and PR positive tumors without HER2 overexpression. As controls, histologically normal breast tissues from 10 patients with no breast tumor were included.Allelic imbalance was observed in 13/15 (87 %) HER2 positive tumors, the remaining 2 being inconclusive. Of the 16 triple negative tumors, 12 (75 %) displayed instability, 3 (19 %) displayed no instability, and 1 was inconclusive. Of the 13 hormone receptor positive tumors, 5 (38 %) displayed allelic imbalance, while 8 did not.We conclude that the SNP assay is suitable for rapid testing of allelic (im)balance at the HER2/TOP2A locus using paraffin-embedded tissues. Based on allelic imbalance at this locus, both triple negative and ER and PR positive breast tumors can be subcategorized. The clinical relevance of the allelic (im)balance status at the HER2/TOP2A locus in breast cancer is subject of future study.The virtual slide(s) for this article can be found here: http://www.diagnosticpathology.diagnomx.eu/vs/2086062232155220.

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Aberrations of ERBB2 and TOP2A genes in breast cancer.

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