Bimodal expression of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor in colonic neoplasms.
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have demonstrated that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) plays a role in carcinogenesis and carcinoma progression. In this study we investigated the expression of HB-EGF in human colonic non-neoplastic and neoplastic tissues.


METHODS
We performed immunohistochemistry using a polyclonal antibody against HB-EGF for normal colon hyperplastic polyps, adenomas and adenocarcinomas.


RESULTS
Normal human colon and hyperplastic polyps did not express HB-EGF. In adenomas with moderate or severe dysplasia, HB-EGF was positive in 92% of the cases, whereas only 14.6% of those with mild dysplasia, expressed HB-EGF (p < 0.0001). HB-EGF expression was observed in 75% of carcinoma-in-adenoma cases. In adenocarcinomas, the incidence of HB-EGF expression significantly decreased as compared to adenomas with moderate or severe dysplasia (p < 0.0001) and CIA (p = 0.0005), with only 27.5% of the cases being classified as positive. In adenocarcinomas, HB-EGF expression was inversely linked to carcinoma differentiation (p = 0.0003) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0358).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results demonstrated the bimodal expression of HB-EGF in colonic neoplasms and suggested that HB-EGF may play a role in colonic carcinogenesis and at an early phase of the progression of colonic adenocarcinoma.
Ito
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Osaka Seamen's Insurance Hospital, 1-8-30, Chikko, Minato-ku, Osaka 552-0021, Japan.
Higashiyama
S
S
Takeda
T
T
Okada
M
M
Matsuura
N
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D006493:Heparin / Q000378:metabolism*; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology
C587883:HBEGF protein, human; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D006493:Heparin