c-erbB-2 oncoprotein content in gastric cancer and in adjacent mucosa

The aim of this study was to evaluate, by means of an immunoenzymatic assay , the membranous and cytosolic c-erbB-2 oncoprotein contents in primary tum ors and in adjacent mucosa from gastric cancer patients. Fifty-two patients with primary gastric adenocarcinomas were enrolled in this prospective stu dy. c-erbB-2 protein levels were significantly higher in membranous than in cytosolic samples, both in neoplastic tissues (median: 3602 vs 525 NHU/mg protein; p<0.0001) and in adjacent mucosa samples (median: 3174 vs 509 NHU/ mg protein; p<0.0001). Nevertheless, there was a significant positive relat ion between membranous and cytosolic c-erbB-2 protein contents in both neop lastic tissue (p<0.001) and adjacent mucosa (p<0.001) samples. There was no significant difference in the membranous c-erbB-2 protein content between neoplastic tissues and adjacent mucosa samples. However, the cytosolic c-er bB-2 content was significantly higher in neoplastic tissues than in adjacen t mucosa (p<0.05). Finally, the results did not show any significant correl ations of these oncoprotein contents with patient characteristics, clinicop athologic parameters and overall survival of the study population.