Immunohistochemical study of c-erb B-2 expression in malignant mixed müllerian tumors of the female genital tract.
OBJECTIVE
To study the expression of c-erb B-2 in gynecologic malignancies, especially in malignant mixed müllerian tumors (MMTs).


METHODS
Using immunohistochemical techniques, we examined 6 cases of primary MMT, 6 cases of leiomyosarcoma (LMS), 7 cases of endometrial adenocarcinomas, and 10 cases of normal endometria.


RESULTS
The expression of c-erb B-2 was observed in the carcinomatous area of all 6 cases of MMT (100%), the sarcomatous area of 5 of 6 cases of MMT (83.3%), in 1 of the 6 cases of LMS (16.7%), in all 7 cases of adenocarcinoma (100%), and in all cases of normal epithelial cells (100%), but was not observed in any of the cases of normal stromal cells (0%).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the carcinomatous and sarcomatous elements of MMT are similar in their expression of c-erb B-2. MMT differed immunohistochemically from pure sarcoma cells and normal stromal cells, but resembled pure carcinoma cells and normal epithelial cells of the female genital tract.
Nasu
K
K
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Oita Medical University, Japan.
Kawano
Y
Y
Hirota
Y
Y
Matsui
N
N
Hayata
T
T
Miyakawa
I
I
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000737:chemistry; D004717:Endometrium / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005833:Genital Neoplasms, Female / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D018200:Mixed Tumor, Mullerian / Q000737:chemistry*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000737:chemistry; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000737:chemistry
D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases