Amplification of protooncogenes in surgical specimens of human lung carcinomas |
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Authors: | M Shiraishi M Noguchi Y Shimosato T Sekiya |
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Institution: | Oncogene Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan. |
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Abstract: | The possible existence of amplification or rearrangement of protooncogenes was examined in more than 100 surgical specimens of human lung carcinoma. Protooncogenes were amplified in 28% of the carcinomas. About 90% of the amplified genes were of the myc, ras, or erbB family. Of the myc family genes, myc was amplified in 14 of 137 tumors and L-myc in four of 108 tumors, but N-myc was not amplified. A high frequency of amplification of myc was observed in squamous cell carcinomas (seven of 37) and of L-myc in small cell carcinomas (two of six). Of the ras family genes, K-ras-2 was amplified in six of the 137 tumors and N-ras in two of the 137 tumors, but no amplification of H-ras-1 was detected. Seven of the eight cases of amplified ras genes were in advanced pathological stages. Of the erbB family genes, erbB-1 (epidermal growth factor receptor) was amplified in 10 of 114 tumors and erbB-2 (HER-2/neu) in one of 51 tumors. Amplifications of the myc, ras, and erbB family genes might be one of the crucial DNA abnormalities involved in the development of human lung carcinomas. |
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