Amphiregulin and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human malignant fibrous histiocytoma of soft tissues.
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.
Yamamoto
Tetsuji
T
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Chuo-ku, Kusunoki-cho, Kobe 650-0017, Japan. yamatetu@med.kobe-u.ac.jp
Fujita
Ikuo
I
Akisue
Toshihiro
T
Marui
Takashi
T
Nakatani
Tetsuya
T
Kawamoto
Teruya
T
Hitora
Toshiaki
T
Nagira
Keiko
K
Matsumoto
Keiji
K
Kurosaka
Masahiro
M
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
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