Analysis of aneusomy level and HER-2 gene copy number and their effect on amplification rate in breast cancer specimens read as 2+ in immunohistochemical analysis

Our aim was to determine the aneusomy level and the HER-2 gene copy numbers, by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and to analyze their impact on the amplification rate in breast carcinomas considered HER-2 weakly positive cases by immunohistochemistry. We evaluated 343 breast carcinomas using double colour FISH (LSI Her-2/neu gene and CEP 17). Monosomy and polysomy were demonstrated in 24.2% and 46.1% respectively and 101/343 (29.6%) of the specimens were amplified by FISH. A statistically significant difference was observed, when we compared the amplification percentage in polysomic and monosomic specimens (P < 0.0001) and, among polysomic specimens, when tumours were compared with HER-2 gene signals number per cell between 3 and 10 and >10 respectively (P < 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis showed that HER-2 signals >10 and polysomy absence were independently associated with amplification. Our results confirm that the majority of 2+ IHC cases express the HER-2 protein without gene amplification and highlight the effect of chromosome 17 aneusomy and the HER-2 gene copy number on amplification.