Epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins in tissue and tumor effusion cells of histopathologically different ovarian neoplasms.
The overexpression of two growth factor receptors - epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 - was evaluated immunohistochemically in malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, considering the stage of the disease and histology of tumors. The comparison of EGFR and c-erbB-2 reactivity in tissue sections and respective cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells was also performed. c-erbB-2 expression was detected in 44.4% of ovarian carcinomas, and in benign neoplasms there was no evidence of its staining, while EGFR reactivity was found both in malignant (58.7%) and benign (50%) tumors. Significant heterogeneity of staining was observed, however, the relationship between EGFR and c-erbB-2 expression in tissue sections and cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells in individual patients was evident. The expression of both growth factor receptors was not correlated with histopathological subtypes of ovarian neoplasms. The c-erbB-2 oncoprotein was detected more frequently in III/IV than in I/II stages according to the criteria of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the EGFR expression was independent of the clinical advancement of the disease. The coexpression of c-erbB-2 and EGFR was shown in 32% of ovarian carcinomas, and it dominated in cases with FIGO stages III/IV. Our results indicate that the increase of the EGFR expression appears to be associated with early stages of ovarian tumorigenesis, and the enhancement of c-erbB-2 reactivity may cooperate with EGFR activation in the development and progression of ovarian carcinomas.
Department of Tumor Immunology, Wroclaw University of Medicine, Poland.
A
A
Harlozińska
J K
JK
Bar
E
E
Sobańska
M
M
Goluda
D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*
D066246:ErbB Receptors; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases