Serum levels of HER-2 neu (C-erbB-2) correlate with overexpression of p185neu in human ovarian cancer.
BACKGROUND
The HER-2 neu (c-erbB-2) oncogene product p185neu is expressed by most ovarian cancers and overexpressed in approximately 30%.


METHODS
Sera from patients with ovarian cancer were evaluated for neu antigen using an enzyme-linked immunoassay and for CA 125 antigen by radioimmunoassay. Tissue levels of neu from the same patients were determined by immunohistochemical staining with anti-neu monoclonal antibody.


RESULTS
Elevated levels (> 2050 human neu unit [HNU]/ml) of circulating neu determinants have been detected in sera from 15% of 48 patients. Of 45 patients for whom tumor tissue had been cryopreserved, overexpression of neu was found in 17 by immunohistochemical analysis; of these 17, serum neu levels were elevated in 5 (29%). Among the 28 patients with normal to moderate tissue expression of neu, only 2 (7%) had elevated serum neu levels. Thus, elevated serum neu levels predicted tissue overexpression with a specificity of 93%. Serum neu levels were not related to serum levels of CA 125.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum and tissue levels of neu correlate in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.
McKenzie
S J
SJ
Applied bioTechnology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
DeSombre
K A
KA
Bast
B S
BS
Hollis
D R
DR
Whitaker
R S
RS
Berchuck
A
A
Boyer
C M
CM
Bast
R C
RC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate / Q000097:blood; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D003536:Cystadenocarcinoma / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D011519:Proto-Oncogenes / Q000235:genetics*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics*
D015295:Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface