Expression of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor in pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies demonstrated that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) contributes to carcinogenesis and carcinoma progression. In this study, we investigated its expression in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
We immunohistochemically investigated the expression of HB-EGF in 40 cases of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.


RESULTS
HB-EGF was only occasionally and faintly expressed in normal and hyperplastic pancreas duct epithelia. In pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 22 (55.0%) of the 40 cases were classified as positive for HB-EGF. Its expression was more frequently observed in cases with a low Ki-67 labeling index, well differentiated. early stage, small size, without lymph node metastasis and low EGF-R expression.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that HB-EGF mainly plays a role in early phase of the progression of pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Ito
Y
Y
Department of Surgery, Osaka Seamen's Insurance Hospital, Japan.
Higashiyama
S
S
Takeda
T
T
Yamamoto
Y
Y
Wakasa
K I
KI
Matsuura
N
N
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values
C587883:HBEGF protein, human; D066257:Heparin-binding EGF-like Growth Factor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D066246:ErbB Receptors