title: Overexpression of C-myc, Ras and C-erbB-2 oncoproteins in carcinoma of unknown primary origin.
abstract: The role of oncogenes in carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP) has not yet been elucidated. In the present study the expression of the c-myc p62, ras p21 and c-erB-2 p185 oncoproteins were studied by a 3-step immunoperoxidase technique in 26 cases of CUP. Positive immunoreactivity was observed in 96% of the cases for c-myc, 92% for ras and in 65% for c-erb-2, with at least half of tumor cells labelled in 85%, 92% and 58% respectively. The degree of staining intensity was considered moderate or strong in more than half of the cases for all oncogene products. In conclusion, our results showed that patients with CUP have an extremely high overexpression of all three oncogenes studied. Nevertheless, the biological role of these overexpressed oncoproteins, their relationship with different histological or clinical parameters and their diagnostic or prognostic value need further evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Toannina, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Briassoulis
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fountzilas
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agnantis
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras) / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D016271:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; D016283:Proto-Oncogene Proteins p21(ras); D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C501009:HRAS protein, human