Comparing protein and mRNA expressions of the human epidermal growth factor receptor family in estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer

• Published in: Medical molecular morphology Vol. 52; no. 2; pp. 90 - 98
• Main Authors: Kurozumi, Sasagu, Yamaguchi, Yuri, Matsumoto, Hiroshi, Inoue, Kenichi, Kurosumi, Masafumi, Oyama, Tetsunari, Horiguchi, Jun, Fujii, Takaaki, Shirabe, Ken
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01.06.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Anatomy; Breast cancer; Epidermal growth factor; Epidermal growth factor receptors; ErbB-2 protein; Estrogen receptors; HER protein; Invasiveness; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Molecular Medicine; Original Paper; Pathology; Polymerase chain reaction; Proteins; Reverse transcription; Human epidermal growth factor receptor; Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assay; Estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer; Immunohistochemical assay; Laser-capture microdissection method
• ISSN: 1860-1480; 1860-1499
• DOI: 10.1007/s00795-018-0206-y

The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family plays a vital role in the development of resistance to treatments in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. This study investigated the correlation between protein and mRNA expressions of the HER family in ER-positive breast cancer. We dissected regions of invasive cancer from the frozen tissues of 34 patients with ER-positive breast cancer using laser-capture microdissection, followed by evaluation of the mRNA levels of the ER and HER family (EGFR, HER2, HER3, and HER4) using the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. In addition, we assessed the protein expressions of the ER and HER family using an immunohistochemical (IHC) assay. A significant correlation was observed between the ER protein and mRNA expressions. For HER2, HER3, and HER4, protein expressions significantly correlated with mRNA levels. We established significant correlations of the mRNA level between EGFR versus HER2, as well as EGFR versus HER3. Furthermore, a significant correlation of the mRNA level between HER2 and HER3 was illustrated. In conclusion, IHC evaluation may be reliable and representable for mRNA. Hence, this study established a marked correlation between the mRNA expressions of HER family members in patients with ER-positive breast cancer.