Droplet digital PCR measurement of HER2 in patients with gastric cancer.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Although there are some new criteria for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression with immunohistochemistry/fluorescence in situ hybridisation (IHC/FISH) in gastric cancer, the method is still ambiguous and is somewhat dependent on the subjective qualities of the evaluator.

METHODS:

We used droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) to evaluate HER2 amplification in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples and cell-free serum circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) in 25 patients with gastric cancer.

RESULTS:

The concordance rate of HER2 amplification examined in FFPE samples with ddPCR and IHC/FISH was 92% (23 out of 25). The concordance rate of FFPE with ctDNA was not high (62.5%); however, patients who were HER2-positive by ctDNA had significantly shorter survival compared with HER2-negative patients.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results demonstrated that this ddPCR method was as effective as IHC/FISH and therefore might become a standard method for analysing not only FFPE but also ctDNA.

• Authors: H Kinugasa, K Nouso, T Tanaka, K Miyahara, Y Morimoto, C Dohi, T Matsubara, H Okada, K Yamamoto
• Journal: British journal of cancer (Br J Cancer) Vol. 112 Issue 10 Pg. 1652-5 (May 12 2015) ISSN: 1532-1827 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25897674 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• DNA
• ERBB2 protein, human
• Receptor, ErbB-2

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• DNA (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence (methods)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Paraffin Embedding (methods)
• Polymerase Chain Reaction (methods)
• Receptor, ErbB-2 (genetics)
• Stomach Neoplasms (blood, enzymology, genetics)