title: Soluble ectodomain of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in relation to tumour stage and grade in human renal cell carcinoma.
abstract: The soluble ectodomain of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein was measured using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay in sera from 184 patients with renal cell carcinoma before initiation of treatment. The median serum level was 2062 U ml(-1) (range 865-4905 U ml(-1)). Levels were unaffected by sex, age and renal function. An inverse relation between disease stage (P = 0.0017) and tumour grade (P = 0.0009) and the serum level of c-erbB-2 ectodomain was observed. Survival time for patients with serum levels above median level was significantly longer than for patients with lower levels (P = 0.003). In a multivariate analysis, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein lost its prognostic information, while tumour stage and tumour grade were identified as independent prognostic factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rasmuson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grankvist
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ljungberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases