Lm. Witters et al., EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR ECTODOMAIN IN THE URINE OF PATIENTS WITH SQUAMOUS-CELL CARCINOMA, Clinical cancer research, 1(5), 1995, pp. 551-557
In this study we determined the levels of the epidermal growth factor
receptor (EGFR) in the urine of patients with squamous cell carcinoma
compared to levels in the urine of normal volunteers and patients with
nonsquamous cell carcinoma. A 24-h urine specimen was collected from
50 normal volunteers, 50 patients with nonsquamous cell carcinoma, and
42 patients with squamous cell carcinoma. An ELISA using mAbs to the
external domain of the EGFR was used to measure levels of the receptor
in the urine samples. Measurement of the EGFR ectodomain in the 24-h
urine specimens showed detectable levels in 15 (36%) of 42 squamous ce
ll carcinoma patients compared to 3 (6%) of 50 controls and 8 (16%) of
50 nonsquamous patients. It was also observed that 10 (53%) of 19 pat
ients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma had detectable EGFR ecto
domain levels compared to 5 (22%) of 23 squamous cell patients with lo
calized disease, Thus, we concluded that the EGFR ectodomain was detec
table in the urine in a significantly higher number of patients with s
quamous cell carcinoma than normal volunteers or patients with nonsqua
mous cell carcinoma.