FREQUENT IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL DETECTION OF EGF SUPERGENE FAMILY MEMBERS IN OVARIAN CARCINOGENESIS

Primary and metastatic ovarian cystadenocarcinomas, carcinomas of low malignant potential (borderline tumors), benign ovarian cystadenomas, and normal ovaries were compared for immunoperoxidase detection of the ligands epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-alp ha (TGF-alpha), amphiregulin (AR), cripto, and the receptors, epiderma l growth factor receptor (EGF-T), and c-erbB-2. This matrix analysis o f these EGF family members indicated no specific pattern of ligand or receptor expression with a specific ovarian histologic category except in the case of AR and TGF-alpha. AR was detected almost exclusively i n borderline tumors, suggesting that these tumors may not arise as a p athological continuum between benign cystadenomas and invasive cystade nocarcinomas. Second, the presence of TGF-alpha immunoreactivity in th e absence of coexpression of cripto or EGF appeared to be associated o nly with adenocarcinomas of high grade and stage.