SERUM LEVELS OF C-ERBB-2 (HER-2 NEU) IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT AND NONMALIGNANT DISEASES/

The diagnostic value of a new tumor marker, c-erbB-2, was studied in t he sera of 50 controls, 112 patients with benign diseases and 534 pati ents with malignancies. Using 15 U/ml as the cutoff, no healthy subjec ts, patients with benign diseases (excluding liver cirrhosis) or patie nts with no evidence of disease (45 patients) had serum levels higher than this limit. Abnormal c-erbB-2 levels were found in 38.5% (10 of 2 6) of the patients with liver cirrhosis and in 26.7% (8 of 30) of thos e patients with primary liver cancer. No differences were found betwee n the c-erbB-2 serum concentrations In Liver cirrhosis or primary Live r cancer, suggesting the possible catabolism of this antigen in the fi ver. Abnormal levels of this antigen were found in 20% (56 of 278) of the patients with breast carcinoma (locoregional 7%: metastases 41.5%) , in 21% (6 of 28) of ovarian carcinomas (stage I-II 0%, stage III-IV 42.8%), in 21% (3 of 14) of the colorectal tumors (locoregional 0%, me tastases 30%), and in 13.3% (11 of 83) of the patients with lung cance r (locoregional 11.5%, metastases 16%). C-erbB-2 sensitivity in other patients with advanced disease was: 25% (9 of 36) in prostatic cancer; 22% (2 of 9) in gastric cancer, and 11% (1 of 9) in vesical tumors. W hen patients with liver metastases were excluded, abnormal c-erbB-2 se rum levels were only found in breast, lung, prostatic and ovarian carc inomas. C-erbB-2 sensitivity in patients with lung cancer was related to tumor histology with significantly higher values in non-small cell lung cancer (mainly adenocarcinomas) than in patients with small cell lung cancer (p<0.013). C-erbB-2 concentrations in patients with breast cancer were significantly higher in patients with recurrence (mainly bone and liver metastases) and in patients with progesterone receptor- negative (<15 fmol/mg) tumors (p<0.01), In conclusion, c-erbB-2 is not a specific tumor marker and abnormal serum levels may be found in pat ients with liver pathologies. Its sensitivity suggests its possible ap plication as a tumor marker in breast, ovarian, lung (mainly adenocarc inomas) and prostatic tumors.