OBJECTIVETo explore the status of HER2 gene amplification and its product HER2 protein expression in gastric carcinoma, so as to aid in patient selection for anti-HER2 targeted chemotherapy.

METHODSEighty-five cases of gastric carcinoma biopsy tissues were collected. The status of HER2 gene amplification was detected by dual in situ hybridization (dual-ISH). And HER2 protein was detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSHER2 gene amplification was detected in 10/85 (11.8%) cases of gastric carcinoma, and no amplification was detected in 75/85 (88.2%) cases. In the 10 cases with HER2 amplification, HER2 immunoreaction scorings of 3+, 2+ and 0/1+ were present in 7, 2 and 1 cases, respectively. In the 75 cases without HER2 amplification, HER2 immunoreaction scorings of 3+, 2+ and 0/1+ were present in 0, 18 (24.0%) and 57 (76.0%) cases, respectively. Histologically, most gastric carcinoma with amplification of HER2 gene was moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma.

CONCLUSIONSHER2 gene dual-ISH technique is a reliable and objective method for detecting HER2 gene amplification in gastric carcinoma biopsy. Clinically, only few gastric carcinomas show HER2 gene amplification and are suitable candidates for anti-HER2 targeted chemotherapy.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Genes, erbB-2 ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore the diagnostic significance of glypican-3 (GPC3) immunohistochemistry in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSFourteen tissue microarray paraffin blocks were constructed, which comprised 731 samples from hepatic tumors and paratumor tissues, including 357 cases of HCC, 26 cholangiocarcinoma, 171 HCC adjacent hepatic tissue including cirrhosis, 93 hemangioma adjacent hepatic tissues, and 84 carcinomas metastatic to liver. GPC3 (Clone 1G12) protein was detected immunohistochemically in all of cases with positive controls.

RESULTSGPC3 protein was positive in 72.0% HCC (257/357), but negative in the rest 374 of non-HCC cases, including cholangiocarcinoma, HCC adjacent hepatic tissue including cirrhosis, hemangioma adjacent hepatic tissues and metastatic carcinomas. GPC3 positive percentage was significantly correlated with histological grading of HCC (P < 0.01), highest in grade 3 (77.1%, 64/83) followed by grade 2 (73.3%, 187/255), grade 1 (6/12) and grade 4 (0).

CONCLUSIONSGPC3 is a valuable diagnostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma with sensitivity of 72.0%, and a differential diagnostic marker from tumor adjacent hepatic tissue and carcinomas metastatic to liver with specificity of 100%.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Colonic Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glypicans ; metabolism ; Hemangioma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Liver ; metabolism ; pathology ; Liver Cirrhosis ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; secondary ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the expression and diagnostic significance of glypican-3 (GPC3) in hepatoblastoma.

METHODSFive tissue microarray paraffin blocks were constructed to include 54 cases of hepatoblastoma. The tumor tissue samples were obtained from 3 surgical biopsies, 33 needle biopsies, 5 stage I resection tumors, and 13 stage II resection tumors after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Ten samples of non-neoplastic hepatic tissue adjacent to tumor were used as control. Immunohistochemical staining of GPC3 (clone 1G12) was performed. Among the 54 cases of hepatoblastoma, 22 cases were fetal subtype, 24 cases were mixed fetal and embryonal subtype and 8 cases were mixed epithelial and mesenchymal type.

RESULTSGPC3 was positive in fetal epithelial cells (54/54, 100%), but negative or weakly positive in embryonic epithelial cells in all cases of hepatoblastoma. Undifferentiated small cells and all mesenchymal components were negative for the expression. Non-neoplastic hepatocytes adjacent to tumor were negative for GPC3 expression (0/10) .

CONCLUSIONSFetal epithelial components of hepatoblastoma express GPC3 protein detectable by immunohistochemistry. Normal hepatocytes after birth, small cell undifferentiated and embryonic epithelial components of hepatoblastoma do not or weakly express GPC3 protein. Therefore, GPC3 immunohistochemistry offers a valuable aid to the diagnosis of hepatoblastoma in infants and children.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Female ; Glypicans ; metabolism ; Hepatoblastoma ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Liver Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male

Atrial Fibrillation ; Cardiac Tamponade ; etiology ; Heart Atria ; Heart Neoplasms ; complications ; Hemangiosarcoma ; complications ; Humans