TY - JOUR
T1 - Expression of epidermal growth factor family proteins and epidermal growth factor receptor in human endometrium
AU - Niikura, Hitoshi
AU - Sasano, Hironobu
AU - Kaga, Keiko
AU - Sato, Shinji
AU - Yajima, Akira
PY - 1996
Y1 - 1996
N2 - The biological significance of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-related proteins in the development and progression of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma was studied. Expression of EGF-related proteins including EGF, transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), cripto (CR), amphiregulin (AR), and EGF receptor (EGFR) were immunohistochemically examined. Results were then correlated with clinicopathologic findings and steroid receptor status in 12 specimens with normal endometrium, 13 with endometrial hyperplasia, and 40 with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. EGFR, EGF, TGF-α, and CR immunoreactivities were observed in 58.3%, 66.7%, 91.6%, and 66.7% of normal endometrial specimens; 100%, 15.4%, 100%, and 30.8% of endometrial hyperplasia specimens; and 67.5%, 32.5%, 65.0%, and 65.0% of endometrial carcinoma specimens, respectively. AR immunoreactivity was not observed in any of the normal, hyperplastic, or neoplastic endometrium. The presence or absence of EGFR or TGF-α in endometrial carcinoma correlated with surgical stage, depth of myometrial invasion, and findings from peritoneal washing cytology. EGF expression significantly correlated with the age of the patients and that of CR with surgical stage and peritoneal washing cytological findings. There was a significant correlation between EGFR and TGF-α expression, and between EGF and TGF-α. Coexpression of EGFR and TGF- α, EGFR and CR, and TGF-α and CR in carcinoma specimens significantly correlated with advanced surgical stage, deeper myometrial invasion, and positive peritoneal washing cytology. In normal as well as hyperplastic endometrium, endometrial glands immunohistochemically positive for TGF-α were generally positive for ER, but in poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma, cells positive for TGF-α tended to be negative for ER. The results of the present study show that among EGF-related proteins, expression of TGF-α and CR seem to be associated with the progression of human endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Additionally, expression of TGF-α became increasingly estrogen independent with increasing histological carcinoma grades.
AB - The biological significance of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-related proteins in the development and progression of endometrioid endometrial carcinoma was studied. Expression of EGF-related proteins including EGF, transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), cripto (CR), amphiregulin (AR), and EGF receptor (EGFR) were immunohistochemically examined. Results were then correlated with clinicopathologic findings and steroid receptor status in 12 specimens with normal endometrium, 13 with endometrial hyperplasia, and 40 with endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. EGFR, EGF, TGF-α, and CR immunoreactivities were observed in 58.3%, 66.7%, 91.6%, and 66.7% of normal endometrial specimens; 100%, 15.4%, 100%, and 30.8% of endometrial hyperplasia specimens; and 67.5%, 32.5%, 65.0%, and 65.0% of endometrial carcinoma specimens, respectively. AR immunoreactivity was not observed in any of the normal, hyperplastic, or neoplastic endometrium. The presence or absence of EGFR or TGF-α in endometrial carcinoma correlated with surgical stage, depth of myometrial invasion, and findings from peritoneal washing cytology. EGF expression significantly correlated with the age of the patients and that of CR with surgical stage and peritoneal washing cytological findings. There was a significant correlation between EGFR and TGF-α expression, and between EGF and TGF-α. Coexpression of EGFR and TGF- α, EGFR and CR, and TGF-α and CR in carcinoma specimens significantly correlated with advanced surgical stage, deeper myometrial invasion, and positive peritoneal washing cytology. In normal as well as hyperplastic endometrium, endometrial glands immunohistochemically positive for TGF-α were generally positive for ER, but in poorly differentiated endometrial carcinoma, cells positive for TGF-α tended to be negative for ER. The results of the present study show that among EGF-related proteins, expression of TGF-α and CR seem to be associated with the progression of human endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. Additionally, expression of TGF-α became increasingly estrogen independent with increasing histological carcinoma grades.
KW - carcinoma
KW - endometrium
KW - epidermal growth factor family
KW - epidermal growth factor receptor
KW - immunohistochemistry
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U2 - 10.1016/S0046-8177(96)90070-2
DO - 10.1016/S0046-8177(96)90070-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 8600044
AN - SCOPUS:0029874585
VL - 27
SP - 282
EP - 289
JO - Human Pathology
JF - Human Pathology
SN - 0046-8177
IS - 3
ER -