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. 2025 May;19(3):201-207.
doi: 10.1097/CU9.0000000000000249. Epub 2024 May 27.

Expression of HER2 in urothelial carcinoma and its significance

Yao Chang  1 , Delong Zhao  2 , Zicheng Wang  2   3 , Kejia Zhu  2 , Andong Guo  2 , Jishuang Cao  4 , Chenrui Wu  4 , Sentai Ding  2   4
Affiliations

Expression of HER2 in urothelial carcinoma and its significance

Yao Chang et al. Curr Urol. 2025 May.

Abstract

Objectives: We explored the expression levels and clinical significance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in urothelial carcinoma (UC) tissues.

Materials and methods: Patient data were reviewed, and 111 paraffin specimens of UC obtained from the Department of Urology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, from 2020 to 2021 were collected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HER2 protein expression in all UC tumor tissues. The χ 2 and Fisher exact tests were used to analyze the relationship between HER2 protein expression and clinicopathological data (sex, age, histopathological diagnosis, invasiveness, histopathological grade, maximum tumor diameter, muscle invasion, regional lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage).

Results: In this study, 92 cases (82.88%) showed HER2 protein expression, and there was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of HER2 positivity (immunohistochemistry 2+ and 3+) according to the pathological grades of UC (p = 0.021). Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positivity was not associated with sex, age, histopathological diagnosis, invasiveness, maximum tumor diameter, muscle invasion, regional lymph node metastasis, or clinical stage (all p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein is highly expressed in UC, and its expression may be closely related to the high pathological grade of UC.

Keywords: Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; Immunohistochemistry; Urothelial carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest has been declared by the authors.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Histomorphological spectrum of UC. (A) Low-grade invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma; (B) high-grade invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma; (C) low-grade noninvasive urothelial bladder carcinoma; (D) high-grade noninvasive urothelial bladder carcinoma, original magnification ×200. UC = urothelial carcinoma.
Figure 2
Figure 2
HER2 expression levels in UC from different sources. HER2 = human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; UC = urothelial carcinoma.
Figure 3
Figure 3
HER2 expression under different clinical and pathological characteristics. HER2 = human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; MIUC = muscle-invasive urothelial cancer; NMIUC = non–muscle-invasive urothelial cancer; UC = urothelial carcinoma.
Figure 4
Figure 4
HER2 in UC by IHC. Example of HER2-positive urothelial bladder carcinoma. (A) HER2 IHC scored 0+; (B) HER2 IHC scored 1+; (C) HER2 IHC scored 2+; (D) HER2 IHC scored 3+, original magnification ×200. HER2= human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; UC = urothelial carcinoma; IHC = immunohistochemistry.
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