UROTHELIAL CARCINOMA STUDY OF EXPRESSION AND AMPLIFICATION OF HUMAN EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR RECEPTOR 2 (HER-2/neu) IN SIDI BEL ABBES, ALGERIA
N. AGHER *
Department of Pathology, Hospital-University-Center, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria and Bio-Toxicology Laboratory, Djilali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria and Environment and Cancer Laboratory, Djillali Liabbes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria
A. TOU
Department of Pathology, Hospital-University-Center, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria and Environment and Cancer Laboratory, Djillali Liabbes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria
B. LARBAOUI
Environment and Cancer Laboratory, Djillali Liabbes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria and Department of Oncology, Anti-Cancer Center, Oran 31000, Algeria
S. MOULESSEHOUL
Bio-Toxicology Laboratory, Djilali Liabes University, Sidi Bel Abbes, 22000, Algeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: The HER-2 protein or p185her2 is a membrane receptor with tyrosine kinase activity encoded by HER-2/neu gene. Overexpression of HER 2/neu has been observed in many human cancers, including bladder cancer. In our study, the expression of HER-2 protein is determined in the urothelial carcinoma, also known as Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC).
Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 26 surgical specimens of TCC of bladder Tissue specimens were neutral formaldehyde-fixed and paraffin-embedded. Standard histochemical and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used for studied the expression of HER-2/neu completed with Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH) when was necessary. The results were graded 0 as negative and 3 as positive and 1, 2 confirmed by FISH.
Results: Overall incidence of HER-2/neu overexpression and amplification was 69% (18 of 26) cases. Overexpression and amplification of HER-2/neu was not dependent to histological subtype (P=0.66), grade (P=0.66) or clinical subtype (P=0.39) and was more appeared in the patients with advanced stage, high grade of tumour.
Conclusions: These results are encouraging us the possibility to treat the patients with urothelial of bladder with high grade and advanced clinical stage, but determining the true contribution of trastuzumab requires a randomized trial.
Keywords: Urothelial carcinoma, HER-2/neu, immunohistochemistry, FISH