Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay of C-Erbb-2 Oncoprotein in Breast Cancer

1992 ◽  
Vol 38 (8) ◽  
pp. 1471-1474 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Nugent ◽  
E McDermott ◽  
K Duffy ◽  
N O'Higgins ◽  
J J Fennelly ◽  
...  

Abstract Amplification or increased expression of the c-erbB-2 gene has previously been reported to be a prognostic marker for breast cancer. Gene amplification is usually measured by Southern blotting, whereas increased protein expression is usually detected by immunocytochemistry. We measured c-erbB-2 protein with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). High concentrations of oncoprotein were found in 25 of 161 (16%) primary breast cancers and in 3 of 6 (50%) breast cancer metastases. High concentrations were not found in normal breast tissue or benign breast tumors. In the primary cancers, high concentrations of c-erbB-2 protein were found more frequently (a) in estrogen receptor-negative tumors than in estrogen receptor-positive tumors, (b) in progesterone receptor-negative tumors than in progesterone-positive tumors, and (c) in axillary node-positive cancers than in node-negative cancers. Patients with tumors containing high amounts of the c-erbB-2 protein had a significantly shorter (P less than 0.001) disease-free interval and overall survival rate than did patients with low amounts. We conclude that assay of c-erbB-2 protein by ELISA is simple, rapid, and quantitative and offers important prognostic information in breast cancer.

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1604-1610 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Silvestrini ◽  
E Benini ◽  
S Veneroni ◽  
M G Daidone ◽  
G Tomasic ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The tumor-suppressor gene TP53 and the proto-oncogene bcl-2 encode, respectively, for a nuclear phosphoprotein and for a mitochondrial protein involved in multiple cellular functions. The proteins provide prognostic information in node-negative breast cancer and are supposed to influence treatment responsiveness. We analyzed the predictive role of p53 and bcl-2 expression, alone and in association with other variables, in postmenopausal women with node-positive, estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers treated with radical or conservative surgery plus radiotherapy and adjuvant tamoxifen for at least 1 year. PATIENTS AND METHODS On 240 resectable cancers, we determined the expression of p53 and bcl-2, using immunohistochemistry, cell proliferation (3H-thymidine labeling index [3H-dT LI]), and ER and progesterone receptors (PgR). RESULTS p53 expression and 3H-dT LI were weakly related to one another and both were unrelated to bcl-2. Relapse-free and distant metastasis-free survival at 5 years were significantly lower for patients with tumors that highly expressed p53 (P = .0001) and for those that weakly expressed or did not express bcl-2 (P = .02). However, p53, but not bcl-2, provided prognostic information independent of tumor size, axillary node involvement, steroid receptors, and 3H-dT LI. Moreover, the simultaneous p53 overexpression and lack of PgR identified patients at maximum risk of relapse, whereas bcl-2 overexpression, associated with a low 3H-dT LI or the presence of PgR, improved the prognostic resolution for low-risk patients. CONCLUSION p53 expression appears to be indicative of clinical outcome in postmenopausal patients treated with tamoxifen. Whether p53 overexpression and weak bcl-2 expression are indicators of biologic aggressiveness, regardless of treatment, or of hormone resistance remains to be defined.


2018 ◽  
Vol 237 (3) ◽  
pp. 323-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve V Dall ◽  
Samuel Hawthorne ◽  
Yashar Seyed-Razavi ◽  
Jessica Vieusseux ◽  
Wanfu Wu ◽  
...  

Estrogen induces proliferation of breast epithelial cells and is responsible for breast development at puberty. This tightly regulated control is lost in estrogen-receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers, which comprise over 70% of all breast cancers. Currently, breast cancer diagnosis and treatment considers only the α isoform of ER; however, there is a second ER, ERβ. Whilst ERα mediates estrogen-driven proliferation of the normal breast in puberty and breast cancers, ERβ has been shown to exert an anti-proliferative effect on the normal breast. It is not known how the expression of each ER (alone or in combination) correlates with the ability of estrogen to induce proliferation in the breast. We assessed the levels of each ER in normal mouse mammary glands subdivided into proliferative and non-proliferative regions. ERα was most abundant in the proliferative regions of younger mice, with ERβ expressed most abundantly in old mice. We correlated this expression profile with function by showing that the ability of estrogen to induce proliferation was reduced in older mice. To show that the ER profile associated with breast cancer risk, we assessed ER expression in parous mice which are known to have a reduced risk of developing ERα breast cancer. ERα expression was significantly decreased yet co-localization analysis revealed ERβ expression increased with parity. Parous mice had less unopposed nuclear ERα expression and increased levels of ERβ. These changes suggest that the nuclear expression of ERs dictates the proliferative nature of the breast and may explain the decreased breast cancer risk with parity.


Author(s):  
A Nugent ◽  
J Gallagher ◽  
J Dolan ◽  
N O'Higgins ◽  
M J Duffy

The c-erbB-2 gene is amplified in a wide variety of different adenocarcinomas. Generally, gene amplification correlates with increased expression of the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein. Previous assays for the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein have been qualitative or semi-quantitative. In this investigation using human breast cancers, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein levels as measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) correlated significantly with semi-quantitation by immunocytochemistry ( r = 0·843, P<0·0001, n = 97). The cut-off point for the ELISA which gave the strongest agreement with immunocytochemistry was 15 units/μg protein. It is concluded that detection of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein by ELISA is quantitative and objective.


1991 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
M J Duffy ◽  
J P Brouillet ◽  
D Reilly ◽  
E McDermott ◽  
N O'Higgins ◽  
...  

Abstract Cathepsin D (CD, EC 3.4.23.5) is a lysosomal protease induced by estrogen in certain estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cell lines but produced constitutively by ER-negative cell lines. Our aims in this investigation were to study the distribution of CD in human breast cancers and to relate its concentrations to various biochemical, histological, and clinical characteristics. The concentrations of CD were significantly higher in breast carcinomas than in either normal breast tissues or benign breast tumors. In primary carcinomas, CD concentrations did not correlate with the concentrations of ER or with the estrogen-inducible protease t-PA. However, CD concentrations did correlate weakly but significantly with both UK-PA antigen and UK-PA activity. Also, CD concentrations did not correlate with either tumor stage or axillary node status but did correlate significantly with tumor grade. Patients with cancers containing high concentrations of CD had a significantly shorter overall survival than did patients with low concentrations of the enzyme.


2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. T227-T241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elgene Lim ◽  
Gerard Tarulli ◽  
Neil Portman ◽  
Theresa E Hickey ◽  
Wayne D Tilley ◽  
...  

The estrogen receptor-α (herein called ER) is a nuclear sex steroid receptor (SSR) that is expressed in approximately 75% of breast cancers. Therapies that modulate ER action have substantially improved the survival of patients with ER-positive breast cancer, but resistance to treatment still remains a major clinical problem. Treating resistant breast cancer requires co-targeting of ER and alternate signalling pathways that contribute to resistance to improve the efficacy and benefit of currently available treatments. Emerging data have shown that other SSRs may regulate the sites at which ER binds to DNA in ways that can powerfully suppress the oncogenic activity of ER in breast cancer. This includes the progesterone receptor (PR) that was recently shown to reprogram the ER DNA binding landscape towards genes associated with a favourable outcome. Another attractive candidate is the androgen receptor (AR), which is expressed in the majority of breast cancers and inhibits growth of the normal breast and ER-positive tumours when activated by ligand. These findings have led to the initiation of breast cancer clinical trials evaluating therapies that selectively harness the ability of SSRs to ‘push’ ER towards anti-tumorigenic activity. Our review will focus on the established and emerging clinical evidence for activating PR or AR in ER-positive breast cancer to inhibit the tumour growth-promoting functions of ER.


Oncogene ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 22 (48) ◽  
pp. 7600-7606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunyan Zhao ◽  
Eric W-F Lam ◽  
Andrew Sunters ◽  
Eva Enmark ◽  
Manuela Tamburo De Bella ◽  
...  

2010 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 1161-1167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita K. Dunbier ◽  
Helen Anderson ◽  
Zara Ghazoui ◽  
Elizabeth J. Folkerd ◽  
Roger A'Hern ◽  
...  

Purpose To determine whether plasma estradiol (E2) levels are related to gene expression in estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancers in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods Genome-wide RNA profiles were obtained from pretreatment core-cut tumor biopsies from 104 postmenopausal patients with primary ER-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant anastrozole. Pretreatment plasma E2 levels were determined by highly sensitive radioimmunoassay. Genes were identified for which expression was correlated with pretreatment plasma E2 levels. Validation was performed in an independent set of 73 ER-positive breast cancers. Results The expression of many known estrogen-responsive genes and gene sets was highly significantly associated with plasma E2 levels (eg, TFF1/pS2, GREB1, PDZK1 and PGR; P < .005). Plasma E2 explained 27% of the average expression of these four average estrogen-responsive genes (ie, AvERG; r = 0.51; P < .0001), and a standardized mean of plasma E2 levels and ER transcript levels explained 37% (r, 0.61). These observations were validated in an independent set of 73 ER-positive tumors. Exploratory analysis suggested that addition of the nuclear coregulators in a multivariable analysis with ER and E2 levels might additionally improve the relationship with the AvERG. Plasma E2 and the standardized mean of E2 and ER were both significantly correlated with 2-week Ki67, a surrogate marker of clinical outcome (r = −0.179; P = .05; and r = −0.389; P = .0005, respectively). Conclusion Plasma E2 levels are significantly associated with gene expression of ER-positive breast cancers and should be considered in future genomic studies of ER-positive breast cancer. The AvERG is a new experimental tool for the study of putative estrogenic stimuli of breast cancer.


2003 ◽  
Vol 127 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-41 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Muir ◽  
R. Kanthan ◽  
S. C. Kanthan

Abstract Context.—The rate of male breast cancer is a small fraction of that observed in females, thus severely limiting our understanding of the pathogenesis of this condition. It remains unclear whether the biological behavior and tumor progression associated with male breast cancer parallel that of the female form. Objectives.—To evaluate the immunohistochemical profile of male breast carcinomas and to compare this profile with that of stage-matched female breast cancers. Design.—Seventy-five cases of primary male breast cancer were identified using the records of the Saskatchewan Cancer Foundation over a period of 26 years (1970–1996). Fifty-nine of these cases had formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks available for the purposes of this study. All cases were reviewed and a standardized modified Bloom-Richardson grading criterion was applied. Estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, c-Erb-B2 expression, p53 expression, and Bcl-2 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results from 240 consecutive cases of stage-matched female breast cancers analyzed in the same laboratory were used as a standard set for comparison. Results.—Male breast cancers tended to be high grade (85% grade 3) in comparison with the female breast cancers (50% grade 3). In descriptive analysis across all stages of disease, male carcinomas were more frequently estrogen receptor positive (81% vs 69%) than their female counterparts. Despite their high grade, they were less likely to overexpress p53 (9% vs 28%) and Erb-B2 (5% vs 17%) than the female counterparts. There was no significant difference in either progesterone receptor (63% vs 56%) or Bcl-2 (79% vs 76%) overexpression. Stratified analysis by stage-matched controls showed no statistically significant differences among the men and women with stage I disease. However, in stage II–matched samples, statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups. The male cancers were more likely to overexpress estrogen receptor (81.6% vs 64.4%, P = .04), progesterone receptor (71.1% vs 47.5%, P = .01), and Bcl-2 (78.9% vs 69.4%, P = .20). They also showed statistically significant lower expression of p53 (7.9% vs 36.3%, P = .001) and Erb-B2 (5.3% vs 23.8% P = .01). Conclusion.—Male breast cancers display distinct immunophenotypic differences from those occurring in women, implying a different pathogenesis in the evolution and progression of this disease. Such differences may play key roles in therapeutic management, warranting different treatment strategies in comparison to female breast cancers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 156 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S26-S27
Author(s):  
G Bulusu ◽  
K Duncan ◽  
A Wheeler

Abstract Introduction/Objective Estrogen Receptor (ER) expression in breast cancers is a crucial factor for endocrine therapy in patients with tumors expressing ER in ≥1% of tumor cells. The 2019 guidelines published by ASCO/CAP states that breast cancers that have a 1% to 10% of cells staining Estrogen Receptor (ER) positive should be reported as ER Low Positive cases. This study aims to address this subset of low-positive ER tumors and compare the clinical features to other known breast cancer subtypes. Methods/Case Report We conducted a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained breast cancer registry from 2013 to 2021 at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center, a Sutter Health Affiliate. The study reviewed patient charts with respect to the pathology report, operative report, chemotherapy regimen, and clinical outcomes. Statistical analyses were conducted using R Project for Statistical Coding, with The Student’s T-test used to compare continuous variables. Two-sided P values less than 0.05 indicate statistical significance. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) Our study identified 1316 cases of invasive breast carcinomas, of which 29 (2.16%) demonstrated ER Low-Positive expression. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and pathological features, such as histological grade, ER, PR, HER-2, Ki-67%, and patient age for these tumors. We found that ER Low-Positive tumors demonstrated higher mean histological grade morphology (2.5 out of 3, p&lt;0.001) that was similar to that of Triple Negative Breast Cancers (TNBC) (3 of 3, p&lt;0.001) than to High ER-Positive (1.6 of 3, p&lt;0.001) cancers. Further observations, through examining proliferation rates by utilizing the Ki-67 index, indicate comparative trends between the ER Low-Positive cohort and the TNBC cohort. Conclusion The results suggest that the ER Low-Positive carcinomas, despite reported as ER-positive cases, present with similar clinicopathological features to those of ER-negative tumors. Through this study and future research, we would like to emphasize a stricter set of guidelines that can be adopted to reduce variability for reporting biomarkers. This standardization will allow oncologists to provide more appropriate treatment options and improve the quality of patient care.


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