Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor family proteins (EGFR, c-erbB-2 and c-erbB-3) in gastric cancer and chronic gastritis.
The expression and coexpression of EGFR, c-erbB-2 and c-erbB-3 in 21 gastric cancers and 20 chronic gastritis was examined using immunohistochemistry on fresh frozen tissues considering clinicopathological variables. Generally, gastric cancer patients showed a higher incidence of EGFR, c-erbB-2 and d-erbB-3 overexpression than the group with chronic gastritis (81% and 43%; 38% and 45%; 35% and 20%, respectively), however, statistically significant differences were found only for EGFR expression (p = 0.01). No association between immunoreactivity of all growth factor receptors and the histopathological structure of gastric cancer was observed. EGFR and c-erbB-3 proteins were detected more frequently in patients with III/IV than in I/II of TNM stages, while c-erbB-2 overexpression was higher in I/II vs. III/IV stages. In chronic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia and or coexisting carcinoma lesions, a higher frequency of the expression of studied proteins was observed in comparison with chronic gastritis without those alternations; however, these differences were statistically insignificant. The percentage of positive cases with coexpression of two proteins was comparable in gastric cancer and chronic gastritis (33% and 35%) but the simultaneous expression of all three receptors was evident only in gastric cancer (19%). Our results indicate that at least one or two members of EGFR related receptors could appear in the early stages of gastric tumorigenesis. The enhancement of c-erbB-2 and c-erbB-3 reactivity seems to cooperate with EGFR activation in the gastric cancer development. Our results indicate the promotional rather than direct transformational role for EGFR supergene family in gastric carcinogenesis.
Department of Tumor Immunology, Wroclaw University of Medicine, Poland.
B
B
Slesak
A
A
Harlozinska
I
I
Porebska
T
T
Bojarowski
J
J
Lapinska
M
M
Rzeszutko
A
A
Wojnar
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001706:Biopsy; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008679:Metaplasia; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3