title: Cellular and tumoural heterogeneity of EGFR gene amplification in human malignant gliomas.
abstract: It has been demonstrated that the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, the normal human counterpart of the viral erb-B oncogene is amplified and overexpressed in over 50% of human malignant gliomas (HMGs). In the present study, analysis of the immunohistological staining characteristics of 57 HMGs using an anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody (mab) showed positive staining in 65% of the tumours with large cellular and regional differences in staining pattern and intensity. Screening a smaller number of HMGs with molecular hybridization techniques revealed 10/21 glioblastomas (48%) amplified for the gene; of 11 glioblastomas studied by Northern blot hybridization, 7 tumours with gene amplification showed RNA overexpression, the remaining 4 without amplification did not. Regional differences in DNA levels were observed by Southern blot in 2 tumours: in one particular case, amplification and overexpression were found to be localized to one half of a single HMG, the other half showing neither EFGR gene amplification nor overexpression.
authors.affiliation: Neurosurgical Service, University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strommer
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hamou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Diggelmann
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: de Tribolet
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D005784:Gene Amplification / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000502:physiology*; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D066246:ErbB Receptors