Multiparameter flow-cytometric quantitation of epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in normal and neoplastic tissues of the female genital tract.
A novel multiparameter flow-cytometric method was used to quantify the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein on 85 cryopreserved normal tissues (30 ovary, 29 endometrium, 16 cervix) and 67 carcinomas (31 ovarian, 18 cervical, 15 endometrial, 3 vulvar). Overexpression of the EGFR and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins was found in respectively 3/31 (9%) and 10/31 (32%) ovarian carcinomas, 13/18 (72%) and 7/18 (38%) cervical carcinomas, and 2/15 (13%) and 2/15 (13%) endometrial carcinomas. Oncoprotein expression was significantly higher in the malignant tumors (for all tumor sites) than in the corresponding normal tissues (P less than 0.034 for all combinations). Aneuploid tumors expressed levels of EGFR and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein significantly higher than those of DNA diploid tumors (P = 0.042 and P = 0.048, respectively). Oncoprotein could be detected in nearly all normal tissues: expression was higher in premenopausal than in postmenopausal patients (EGFR, P = 0.07; c-erbB-2, P less than 0.001). The present study supports the idea that EGFR and c-erbB-2 may play an important role in the autocrine, paracrine, and/or endocrine growth control and differentiation of normal tissues. Alteration in the expression of these oncoproteins is probably involved in malignant transformation and tumorigenesis.
Department of Gynaecology, Saint Bartholomew's Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
P A
PA
van Dam
D G
DG
Lowe
J V
JV
Watson
M
M
James
T
T
Chard
C N
CN
Hudson
J H
JH
Shepherd
D002277:Carcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007120:Immunochemistry; D008593:Menopause; D011003:Ploidies; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D012016:Reference Values
D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases