HER-2/neu oncogene expression, DNA ploidy and proliferation index in breast cancer

HER-2/neu gene expression, DNA ploidy and proliferation index were studied in 250 cases of breast cancer. Expression of HER-2/neu was determined by using an antibody to the HER-2/neu receptor. Ki-67 antibody was used to determine the proliferation index of the breast cancers, and the Feulgen method was used to assess DNA amounts in the tumor cells. Histochemical staining was quantitated by image analysis. Of the cancers studied, 72 were positive for overexpression of HER-2/neu protein; of these, 62 (86%) possessed near-tetraploid DNA content, and 47 (65%) had more than one G0G1 stem line (polyploid) of DNA distribution. Cells from the cases negative for HER/2-neu overexpression contained DNA amounts that ranged from diploid to varying degrees of aneuploid. A significant difference in the amounts of cellular proliferation in HER-2/neu overexpressing cancers was found between those that expressed the HER-2/neu receptor on their membranes and those that exhibited mainly cytoplasmic receptors.