Quantitative analysis of HER2 mRNA expression by RNA in situ hybridization in canine mammary gland tumors: Comparison with immunohistochemistry analysis

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229031
• Publication Date: 2020-02-14T18:25:16Z
• Authors: Byung-Joon Seung; Seung-Hee Cho; Soo-Hyeon Kim; Ha-Young Lim; Jung-Hyang Sur
• Keywords: Receptor, ErbB-2; Science; Q; R; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal; Immunohistochemistry; Workflow; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Dogs; 0302 clinical medicine; Biomarkers, Tumor; Medicine; Animals; Female; RNA, Messenger; Neoplasm Grading; In Situ Hybridization; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Research Article

Spontaneously occurring canine mammary gland tumors share many features with human breast cancer, including biological behavior and histologic features. Compared to transgenic murine model, models have advantages naturally of diseases cancer. In humans, cancer is divided into molecular subtypes based on ER, PR, HER2 expression. contrast few studies evaluated these in tumors, expression HER2. tissues has been further complicated by controversy regarding the antibody's specificity. This study aimed investigate c-erbB2 mRNA retrospective formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples, using RNA situ hybridization a novel quantitative assay compare this method immunohistochemistry. Using 48 tumor samples 14 non-neoplastic tissues, was performed RNAscope® canine-specific target gene probe (ERBB2), measurement housekeeping (POLR2A) calculate gene/housekeeping ratio. The ratio ERBB2/POLR2A quantified open-source image analysis programs compared immunohistochemistry results. A significant correlation observed between score (P < 0.001). When 3+, significantly higher hybridization. Interestingly, also potentially facilitates reliable quantification levels paraffin-embedded samples. Further are required elucidate role implement clinical trials dogs.