TY - JOUR
TI - Increased estrogen receptor and epidermal growth factor receptor gene
product co-expression in surgically resected gastric adenocarcinomas
AU - Koullias, GJ
AU - Kouraklis, GP
AU - Raftopoulos, IS
AU - Davaris, PS and
AU - Papadopoulos, SA
AU - Golematis, BC
JO - International Journal of Surgical Oncology
PY - 1996
VL - 63
TODO - 3
SP - 166-171
PB - Wiley
SN - 2090-1402, 2090-1410
TODO - 10.1002/(SICI)1096-9098(199611)63:3<166::AID-JSO6>3.0.CO;2-B
TODO - steroid receptors; growth factors; autocrine; stomach
TODO - Background: Evidence exists that estrogens influence the action of
epidermal growth factor (EGF) and its receptor (EGF-R) at multiple
levels. Estrogen and antiestrogen action on gastric and other
gastrointestinal malignancies has been evaluated by several groups with
conflicting results, and EGF-R has been implicated in the current growth
factor-mediated models for gastric cancer progression.
Methods: ERs and EGF-Rs were detected immunohistochemically in a total
of 53 advanced gastric carcinomas using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to
human ERs and EGF-Rs.
Results: ERs were expressed in 30 (56%) and EGF-Rs in 20 (38%) of the
gastric tumors. ER(+) gastric tumors were closely associated with the
intestinal type (P < 0.01), whereas EGF-R(+) tumors were significantly
correlated with poor differentiation status and ER(+) expression (P <
0.01). Of EGF-R(+) tumors, 85% were also ER(+). EGF-R and ER
co-expression was demonstrated in 17 tumors (32% of the group). These
cases were significantly corelated with poor differentiation and large
tumor size upon resection (P < 0.05).
Conclusions: ER and EGF-R co-expression indicates that a functional
interaction between estrogens and EGF may exist in gastric cancer and
that when such an interaction becomes operative, it may lead to
dedifferentiation and increased tumor growth. (C) 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ER -