ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the significance of the expression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein as a prognostic factor, we retrospectively examined its overexpression rates in epithelial ovarian cancer and their relationships with prognostic factors. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry for Her-2/neu oncoprotein was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues from 45 epithelial ovarian cancer operated between 1999 and 2002. We analyzed relationships between the overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein and prognostic factors including age, histologic type, surgical stage, residual tumor > or =2 cm, and recurrence. RESULTS: The rate of overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein in epithelial ovarian cancer was 31.1% (14/47). The overexpression of HER-2/ neu oncoprotein showed associations with residual tumor > or =2 cm (p=0.049) and recurrence (p=0.029) in univariate analysis. But, there were no associations between the overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein and overall survival. CONCLUSION: The overexpression of HER-2/neu oncoprotein was associated with residual tumor and recurrence in univariate analysis, but appeared to have no prognostic significance for overall survival of epithelial ovarian cancer. Further and larger prospective studies using multivariate analysis are necessary to establish the clinical applicability of these observations.
Subject(s)
Immunohistochemistry , Multivariate Analysis , Neoplasm, Residual , Ovarian Neoplasms , Recurrence , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
PURPOSES: The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of HER-2/neu oncogene amplification by differential polymerase chain reaction and to examine whether HER-2/neu oncogene overamplification has any prognostic significance in advanced epithelial ovarial cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population comprised thirty patients with stage III or IV epithelial ovarian cancer who were managed at Asan Medical Center between January 1994 and December 1996. Fresh frozen tumor samples of primary lesion were analysed by differential polymerase chain reaction to assess amplification of HER-2/neu oncogene. The correlation between HER-2/neu oncogene overamplification and histologic subtype or tumor grade or serum CA 125 level after second chemotherapy were evaluated using chi-square test, and for survival analysis, Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted and the differences between the curves were tested for significance using Log-rank test. RESULTS: HER-2/neu oncogene was amplified in all of the cases (100% 30/30), but significant overamplification [gene copy number > or =1.5 a.u.(arbitrary unit)] was observed in 46.7% (14/30). There was no significant correlation between HER-2/neu oncogene overamplification and histologic subtype or tumor grade or serum CA 125 level after second chemotherapy and there was no correlation between HER-2/neu oncogene overamplification and overall survival. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of HER-2/neu oncogene overamplification is 46.7%, but it may not be a significant prognostic factor in advanced epithelial ovarian cancers.
Subject(s)
Humans , Drug Therapy , Oncogenes , Ovarian Neoplasms , Polymerase Chain Reaction , PrevalenceABSTRACT
Objective: To induce an immune response by intramuscular immunization with HER2/neu oncogene extracellular do- main (ECD) DNA and observe the effect in vivo by an abortion model in mice.Methods: Human and rat HEH2/neu ECD gene were cloned and inserted into expressive vector pCDNA3. The DNA immunization, expression of HER2/neu ECD, antibody de- tection and abortion in immunized mice were studied. Results: HER2/neu ECD protein expressed on muscle cells in the injected site, specific antibody to HER2/neu was induced by DNA immunization. The average of the offspring per delivery from immu- nized mice was significantly lower than that from control group, and the abortive embryos were found in uterus from immunized mice.Conclusion: The results show that both human and rat HER2/neu ECD gene can induced effective immune response by DNA immunization.