title: Immunocytochemical study of epidermal growth factor receptor, transforming growth factor alpha, and "squamous differentiation" in human endometrial carcinoma.
abstract: The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) was compared with the presence of "squamous differentiation" (SD) visualized in various histotypes of endometrial carcinoma by using a panel of monoclonal antibodies. The results of the current study demonstrate that EGFr and TGF-alpha are present in routinely processed endometrial carcinoma. The highest positive EGFr and TGF-alpha expression was seen in the group of adenocarcinomas with SD. The more intense EGFr and TGF-alpha immunoreactivity was observed in "squamous" foci both in adenoacanthomas (AA) and in adenosquamous carcinomas (AS). These EGFr- and TGF-alpha-positive squamous areas prevalently displayed a "stratification-related" cytokeratin (CK) immunoprofile characterized by the expression of CKs 1, 4, 5, 10, 13, 14, and 16. No correlation was found between EGFr- and TGF-alpha-positive status and depth of myometrial invasion or surgical stage. These results clearly demonstrate that EGFr and TGF-alpha expression is related remarkably to endometrial carcinoma with "squamous" areas both morphologically and immunophenotypically. This specific association leads us to suggest that EGFr and TGF-alpha expression in endometrial carcinoma may be prevalently involved in the equilibrium of cell differentiation of the "squamous" foci commonly observed in this group of neoplasias.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Anatomia ed Istologia Patologica, Università di Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Martinelli
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marabini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orlandi
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mancini
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018196:Carcinoma, Adenosquamous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D016889:Endometrial Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007633:Keratins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008679:Metaplasia; D008875:Middle Aged; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D007633:Keratins; D066246:ErbB Receptors