title: Amphiregulin and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human malignant fibrous histiocytoma of soft tissues.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amphiregulin is a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) system and a potent mitogen for various epithelial tissues. Little information, however, is currently available on the amphiregulin and EGF receptor (EGF-R) expression in mesenchymal malignancies of a fibrohistiocytic origin including malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH).
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the amphiregulin and EGF-R expression in 43 human MFH tissues using immunohistochemical techniques. Furthermore, the correlation of the ligand and the receptor expression with tumor proliferative activity assessed by MIB-1 indices was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive immunoreactivity for amphiregulin and EGF-R was identified in 34 (79%) and 36 (84%) of the 43 MFH cases analyzed, respectively. Coexpression of amphiregulin and EGF-R was observed in 30 (70%) of the 43 MFHs analyzed. There were no significant differences in MIB-1 indices between both the amphiregulin and EGF-R-positive MFHs and the remaining MFHs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that amphiregulin is expressed not only by epithelial tumor cells but also by MFH cells. Our data provide evidence indicating the presence of an autocrine mechanism of proliferation control involving the amphiregulin/EGF-R signaling system in human MFHs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Kusunoki-cho, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. yamatetu@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akisue
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Marui
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Teruya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hitora
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagira
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosaka
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D066258:Amphiregulin; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D018219:Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C587848:AREG protein, human; D066258:Amphiregulin; D066255:EGF Family of Proteins; D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D066246:ErbB Receptors