Expression of HER-2/neu in renal-cell carcinoma. Correlation with histologic subtypes and differentiation

Twenty-four renal-cell carcinomas (RCC) and corresponding non-neoplastic kidney tissue were examined for amplification and expression of the HER-2/neu gene. Gene amplification was examined by slot-blot analysis, mRNA expression by in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis, and protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Northern-blot analysis revealed lower expression of HER-2/neu mRNA in clear-cell (p less than 0.001) and compact (p less than 0.001) tumor subtypes, while chromophilic, chromophobic and tubulo-papillary subtypes did not show significant differences in HER-2/neu gene expression, as compared with non-neoplastic kidney tissues. HER-2/neu gene expression was not significantly associated with tumor stage. Low differentiation (G3) was associated with lower HER-2/neu gene expression, but the number of G3 cases was too small for statistical analysis. HER-2/neu gene amplification was not found in any of the tumors. The results of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry generally agreed with those of Northern-blot analysis. We conclude that HER-2/neu gene expression correlates with Thoenes' classification of RCC and may be inversely related to tumor differentiation; it is probably not involved in progression of RCC, in contrast to carcinomas of other locations (e.g. breast, ovary).