IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR (EGF-R) AND C-ERBB-2 AND CORRELATION WITH PATHOLOGICAL PROGNOSTIC VARIABLES IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS
A. Lukic et al., IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR (EGF-R) AND C-ERBB-2 AND CORRELATION WITH PATHOLOGICAL PROGNOSTIC VARIABLES IN ENDOMETRIAL CARCINOMAS, International journal of oncology, 8(6), 1996, pp. 1119-1126
In this study the immunohistochemical expressions of epidermal growth
factor receptor (EGF-R) and erbB-2 in endometrial carcinomas at differ
ent stages of disease progression were evaluated and correlated with c
linicopathological prognostic variables. Our results indicate that EGF
-R and erbB-2 molecules are expressed in normal endometrium as well as
in the majority of the carcinomas evaluated (83% and 92% respectively
). The intensity of the immunostaining varied greatly (1+ to 3+) in th
e different tumors. Within these tumors we focused on those characteri
zed by high levels of expression (i.e. overexpression). Expression and
overexpression of EGF-R has been associated with poorly differentiate
d tumors and with a 3.3 times higher risk of a more rapid disease rela
pse. Overexpression of the erbB-2 oncoprotein was significatively corr
elated with depth of myometrial invasion (M0-M1 vs M2-M3 p=0.05), path
ological stage (stage I vs II-IV p=0.02) and grade of tumor differenti
ation (G1 vs G2-G3 p=0.001). In particular, c-erbB-2 overexpression wa
s able to discriminate between the different subsets of stage I carcin
omas. None of the IA tumors overexpressed the oncoprotein, as compared
to IB and IC (41% and 100% respectively, p=0.04). This finding highli
ghts a role for erbB-2 protein as a prognostic parameter in stage I en
dometrial carcinoma patients.