title: Overexpression of multiple oncogenes related to histological grade of astrocytic glioma.
abstract: The expression of the c-erbB-1, c-myc, Ha/N-ras and c-fos oncogenes was investigated in 62 astrocytomas of low, intermediate and high grades by immunogold silver histochemistry. Elevated expression of c-erbB-1 was observed in 95%, 48% and 86% of low, intermediate and high grade tumours respectively, c-myc in 5%, 33% and 76% respectively, Ha/N-ras in 0, 43% and 71% respectively and c-fos in 55%, 48% and 52% respectively. Controls included normal brain and tumour sections immunoreacted with pre-immune serum or with antisera absorbed with synthetic peptides. Analysis of co-overexpression revealed that low grade tumours co-overexpressed a maximum of two of these genes, intermediate grade tumours a maximum of three of these genes, while co-overexpression of all four genes was observed in some high grade tumours. Co-overexpression of c-erbB-1 and c-fos was frequently observed in low grade astrocytomas and may be predictive of non-progression. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant increase in the number of tumours overexpressing Ha/N-ras or c-myc with increasing grade of tumour, suggesting that overexpression of these two oncogenes may be indicative of progression.
authors.affiliation: Higginbotham Neuroscience Research Institute, Department of Surgery (R.M.H.), University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Orian
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vasilopoulos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Gonzales
mesh_terms: D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D015870:Gene Expression; D016762:Genes, fos; D016259:Genes, myc; D011905:Genes, ras; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000032:analysis; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000032:analysis; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes
chemical_list: D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C501009:HRAS protein, human; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras)