A comparison of biochemical and immunohistochemical assessment of EGFR expression in ovarian cancer.
The presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was determined both by immunohistochemistry and ligand binding assay in 118 samples from 96 cases of ovarian cancer. EGFR was present in 47.5% of tumours biochemically and in 39.8% of tumours analysed immunohistochemically. The concordance rate for the techniques varied between 40% in endometrioid carcinomas to 85.7% in undifferentiated carcinomas with an overall concordance of 69.5% (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the presence of the high, low or high plus low affinity receptor components and tumour immunoreactivity. Although the ligand binding assay is more sensitive than immunohistochemistry for detecting the epidermal growth factor receptor, some cases are positive only on immunohistochemical screening. We would recommend that both techniques should be performed in prospective studies in order to elucidate the role of EGFR expression in ovarian cancer.
Owens
O J
OJ
Department of Biochemistry, Glasgow University, Scotland, U.K.
Stewart
C
C
Leake
R E
RE
McNicol
A M
AM
D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D007700:Kinetics; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011869:Radioligand Assay / Q000379:methods
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors