EXPRESSION OF EGF, EGF-RECEPTOR, P53, V-ERB-B AND RAS P21 IN COLORECTAL NEOPLASMS BY IMMUNOSTAINING PARAFFIN-EMBEDDED TISSUES

Immunohistochemical studies were performed to clarify the significance of the expression or overexpression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), EGF-receptor (EGFR), p53, v-erb B, ras p21 in 23 cases each of tubula r adenoma and adenocarcinoma. The expression of EGF, EGFR, p53, v-erb B, and ras p21 in paraffin-embedded tissues, from 46 patients with col orectal tumors (adenoma: 23 cases; 14 mild dysplasia, six moderate dys plasia, three severe dysplasia, adenocarcinoma: 23 cases; 17 well diff erentiated, two moderately differentiated, three poorly differentiated , one mucinous carcinoma was analyzed immunohistochemially using anti- EGF, EGFR, p53, v-erb B and ras p21 antibodies. The EGF and ras p21 te nded to express more strongly in carcinoma cases than in the adenoma c ases, and in severe and moderate dysplasia than in mild dysplasia (EGF : stained positive in five adenomas [21.74%] and 17 adenocarcinomas [7 3.91%]; ras p21: stained positive in six adenomas [26.09%] and 14 aden ocarcinomas [60.87%]. The EGFR stained positive in two adenomas (8.70% ) and two adenocarcinomas (8.70%). The p53 and v-erb B showed positive staining only in the carcinoma cases (p53: stained positive in four c ases [17.39%]; v-erb B: stained positive in eight cases [34.78%]). Thi s study suggests that these factors seem to have some role in the prog ression of colon neoplasms. It suggests that genetic alteration is not always equal to the overexpression of protein products, but that it r eflects them well, and that the staining makes some contribution to di fferential diagnosis in colorectal neoplasms.