title: Pathological significance of epidermal growth factor receptor expression and amplification in human gliomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression and amplification in gliomas and to assess their association with survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in-situ hybridization were performed to analyse EGFR status in 158 cases of primary glioma. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were performed to analyse the prognosis of patients. Overexpression of EGFR and expression of EGFR variant III (EGFRvIII) were found in 102 cases (64.6%) and 47 cases (29.7%), respectively. Overexpression of EGFR was significantly correlated with World Health Organization (WHO) grade and Karnofsky performance score (KPS) (both P < 0.05). Expression of EGFRvIII was significantly correlated with WHO grade, gender, age, and KPS (all P < 0.05). EGFR amplification was found in 46 cases (29.1%), and was significantly correlated with WHO grade, age, KPS and EGFR overexpression (all P < 0.05). Cox multifactor analysis showed that EGFR amplification was an independent unfavourable prognostic factor for human gliomas at all ages, and EGFRvIII was an independent prognostic factor in patients older than 60 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EGFR amplification and EGFRvIII expression were associated with an unfavourable prognosis for patients of all ages, and for those older than 60 years, respectively. The differing significance of EGFR status in young and old glioma patients and its impact on prognosis needs further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang ProvinceDepartment of Pathology, Department of Basic Medicine, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Kan-lun
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shan-wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bai-lai
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li-rong
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018773:Genes, erbB-1; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C410723:epidermal growth factor receptor VIII; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors