Abstract
The articles Zhu et al (Am J Pathol 176:2333–2343) and Zhu et al (Am J Pathol 177:2860–2869) are being retracted.
Following correspondence in September 2012 from a concerned reader regarding the May 2010 article entitled, “Genetic and Epigenetic Mechanisms Down-Regulate FGF Receptor 2 to Induce Melanoma-Associated Antigen A in Breast Cancer” by Xuegong Zhu, Sylvia L. Asa, and Shereen Ezzat (Volume 176, pages 2333–2343; http://dx.doi.org/10.2353/ajpath.2010.091049) and the December 2010 article entitled “Loss of Heterozygosity and DNA Methylation Affect Germline Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 4 Polymorphism to Direct Allelic Selection in Breast Cancer” by Xuegong Zhu, Lei Zheng, Sylvia L. Asa, Shereen Ezzat (Volume 177, pages 2860–2869; http://dx.doi.org/10.2353/ajpath.2010.100509), the Editors of The American Journal of Pathology commenced an inquiry into the validity of results reported. Initial communication between the editorial office and corresponding author Dr. Ezzat failed to resolve the matter. Therefore, in March 2013 the Editors contacted University Health Network, University of Toronto (Toronto, ON, Canada), with which all authors were affiliated, and requested an investigation of the data.
The University Health Network, University of Toronto appointed an investigative committee. Dr. Christopher Paige, Vice-President of Research, University Health Network, and Dr. Charles Chan, Vice-President of Medical Affairs & Quality, University Health Network, informed the Editors in April 2015 that the articles in question contain falsified data. Specifically, in Zhu et al (Am J Pathol 176:2333–2343) Figures 1D, 2C, 4A, 4C, and 5B contain manipulated and/or fabricated data. Original source data for the published images in Figure 2C (top) were unavailable to the committee for review. In Zhu et al (Am J Pathol 177:2860–2869), Figures 1C, 4B, 5B, 5C, and 5D contain manipulated and/or fabricated data. Original source data for the published images in Figures 1C and 5C were unavailable to the committee for review.
The articles are therefore being retracted from The American Journal of Pathology by the American Society for Investigative Pathology (the owner and publisher) with the concurrence of the co-authors. Dr. Ezzat states, “On behalf of all of the other authors, we wish to state that we have collectively confirmed the validity and reproducibility of the findings reported in these articles. Nevertheless, we request that these papers be retracted.”