[HER2 gene amplification assay: is CISH an alternative to FISH?]

Ann Pathol. 2003 Dec;23(6):617-22.
[Article in French]

Abstract

The HER2 proto-oncogene encodes a transmembrane protein, which is considered to function as a growth factor receptor. Overexpression of this protein found by immunohistochemistry in about 20% of infiltrating breast carcinomas, has a predictive value of response to treatment by trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 humanized monoclonal antibody. Search for HER2 gene amplification is necessary to adapt the immunohistochemical technique quality and also in the cases of delicate analysis or weak overexpression. It is usually carried out by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH). A more recent hybridization technique, named CISH because of its chromogenic revelation is an alternative method, which gives highly correlated results with FISH. We present details of this technique, which may be more familiar for the pathologists than FISH, because reading analysis is similar to that of immunohistochemical staining.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / chemistry
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / chemistry
  • Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / genetics
  • Chromogenic Compounds / analysis*
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 17 / genetics
  • DNA Probes
  • Digoxigenin / analysis
  • Female
  • Genes, erbB-2*
  • Humans
  • In Situ Hybridization / methods*
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques*
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Specimen Handling

Substances

  • Chromogenic Compounds
  • DNA Probes
  • MAS1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Mas
  • Digoxigenin