title: Serum level and tissue expression of c-erbB-2 protein in lung adenocarcinoma.
abstract: Serum levels of c-erbB-2 protein were measured by an enzyme immunoassay in 64 patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was performed in 40 of these tumors. The mean serum concentration was 16.5 +/- 8.5 U/mL (range: 3.4 to 49.0) in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, whereas it was 14.0 +/- 3.7 U/mL (range: 6.9 to 20.9) in 15 controls (1 U/mL = 0.61 ng/mL). Elevated concentrations (> or = 22.0 U/mL, control mean + 2 SD) were observed in 17/64 lung adenocarcinoma patients (26.6%), as compared with none of the control subjects (p < 0.05). Patients with stage IIIB or T4 disease had increased serum levels. The serum concentration was decreased significantly by surgical tumor ablation. Tissue overexpression was obtained in 17/40 cases (42.5%), and serum levels in patients with tissue overexpression were higher than in patients without overexpression. Serum c-erbB-2 protein may be a useful indicator of tumor burden in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery II, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mitsudomi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oyama
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasumoto
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases