| ObjectsThe epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands are the important signal systems that regulate normal cell growth. Abnormal expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands has been associated with malignant transformation. It is reported that there existed high expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor gene in malignant transformation of the normal cells. Abnormal expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and its ligands also has been noted in human cancers. This phenomenon has been referred to as autocrine growth stimulation. They may play an important role in the development and progression of ovarian tumors. S - P method was used to investigate the positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in o-varian serous cystadenocarcinoma and we studied clinic significances of positive expression of EGFR and C - erbB -2.Materials and MethodsAll specimens were obtained from patients of the first affiliated hospital of China Medical University. Sixty - nine patients with epithelial ovarian tumor were included in this study. Among these 69 patients, there were 43 samples of malignant ovarian tumors, 15 samplesof borderline ovarian tumors and 11 samples of benign ovarian tumors. Besides those 69 patients, there were 10 samples of normal ovarian epithelial tissues. The histological type and grade were assigned with the use of World Health Organization criteria. S - P method was used to investigate the positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in paraffin - embedded ovarian tumors. All tissue samples were fixed for 2 hours at 4 C in 4% formaldehyde and embedded in paraffin for immunohistochemical studies. Paraffin - embedded tissue sections were cut into 5jxm sections and mounted on clear glass slides. Depar-affinized sections were placed in 3% hydrogen peroxode for 10 minutes to inhibit endogenous peroxidase activity. The sections were washed in three changes of PBS and incubated with normal goat serum for 20 minutes at room temperature. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out by Streptavidin - Peroxidase method. Control sections with negative expression of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 were incubated with PBS. Meanwhile, we used gastric cancer sections as control group with positive expression of EGFR and C-erbB- 2. Statistical analysis was performed using x2test and P value less than 0. 05 were considered significant.ResultsThe positive expression rates of EGFR in benign, borderline and malignant ovarian tumors were 27. 3% , 73.3% , 81.4% , respectively. The positive expression rates of C - erbB - 2 in benign, borderline and malignant ovarian tumors were 27.3% , 66.7% , 60.5% , respectively. The positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in malignant and borderline tumors were higher than those in normal and be-tumors ( P <0.05). The positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in highly differentiated, moderately differentiated, low differentiated tumors were 70. 0% ,72. 2% , 100. 0% and 30.0% , 61. 1% , 93. 3% , respectively. The positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in highly differentiated tumors were higher than those in moderately differentiated, low differentiated tumors (P <0. 05). In four cases of ovarian cancer in I -II stage, there was one case of EGFR positive expression. The positive expression rates of EGFR in III - IV stage were 87.2% (P<0.05). The positive expression rates of C-erbB-2 in I-II and III-IVstage were 0% and 66.7% ,respectively (P < 0. 05). The positive expression rates of EGFR and C -erbB - 2 in III-IV stage tumors were higher than those in I -II stage tumors (P <0. 05). There exists correlation and synchronization expression between EGFR and C - erbB -2. P value of the correlation of EGFR and C - erbB -2 is 0.033.Conclusions1. There existed positive expressions of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in normal and ovarian serous tumors. The positive expression rates of EGFR and C - erbB - 2 in malignant and borderline tumors were higher than those in normal and benign tumor... |
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