STUDY OF C-ERBB-2 PROTEIN AND EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AND DNA-PLOIDY PATTERN IN COLORECTAL-CARCINOMA

Correlation of c-erbB-2 protein (n = 44), epidermal growth factor rece ptor (EGFR) (n = 41) expression, and DNA ploidy pattern (n = 42) with clinical outcomes of human colorectal cancers was studied. Using monoc lonal antibodies against c-erbB-2 protein and EGFR, an immunohistochem ical study of the expression of c-erbB-2 protein and EGFR in frozen ti ssue sections from the lesion was performed. There was no significant correlation between the expression of c-erbB-2 protein and clinicopath ological findings such as, tumor size, histological type, depth of inv asion, lymph node metastasis, lymphatic vessel invasion, or venous inv asion. However, the incidence of c-erbB-2 protein expression in Dukes D was significantly higher (9/10, 90%) than that in Dukes A to C (16/3 4, 47.1%). Similar tendency was also observed in the expression of EGF R. Aneuploid case was observed in 12 of observed 25 (48%) cases withou t lymph node metastasis, while it was observed in 16 of 17 cases (94.1 %) with lymph node metastasis and there: was significant association b etween DNA ploidy pattern and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01) and mos t of the cases (17/20, 85%) were aneuploidy in Dukes C and D. The resu lts above suggest that the expression of c-erbB-2 protein or EGFR was associated with distant metastasis, while on the other hand DNA ploidy pattern was correlated with lymph node metastasis. (C) 1993 Wiley-Lis s, Inc.