Summary
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) was studied with monoclonal antibody 2E9 on 50 ovarian tumors of various histological types and 10 non-tumorous ovarian tissues by immunohistochemistry. Enhanced expression was observed in 26/50 (52%) of the tumors. Only 25 out of 46 epithelial tumors (54%) showed positivity in epithelial tumor cells. Staining was cytoplasmic in all cases. No correlation was established between EGF-R expression and the histological type of the epithelial tumor. Apart from EGF-R expression in tumor cells, low immunoreactivity was also observed in stromal and endothelial cells in both normal and tumorous ovarian tissues. Furthermore in 8/9 specimens containing necrotic areas, EGF-R was noticed in these areas as well. Both of the latter observations may have impact on the evaluation of the prognostic value of EGF-R activity in tumors, when based on EGF-R measurements using biochemical binding studies. We therefore recommend that EGF-R is measured with both methods in studies regarding its clinical value.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Battaglia F, Scambia G, Panici PB, Baiocchi G, Derrone L, Iarobelli S, Mancuso S (1989) Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in gynecological malignancies. Gynecol Obstet Invest 27:42–44
Bauknecht T, Kiechle M, Bauer G, Siebers J (1986) Characterization of growth factors in human ovarian carcinoma. Cancer Res 46:2614–2618
Bauknecht TH, Runge M, Schwall M, Pfleiderer A (1988) Occurrence of epidermal growth factor receptor in human adnexal tumors and their prognostic value in advanced ovarian carcinomas. Gynecol Oncol 28:147–157
Bauknecht T, Janz I, Kohler M, Pfleiderer A (1989a) Human ovarian carcinomas: correlation of malignancy and survival with the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) and EGF-like factors (EGF-F). Med Oncol Tumor Pharmacother 6:121–127
Bauknecht T, Kohler M, Janz I, Pfleiderer A (1989b) The occurrence of epidermal growth factor receptors and the characterization of EAF-like factors in human ovarian, endometrial, cervical and breast cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 115:193–195
Bauknecht T, Birmelin G, Konnoss F (1990) Clinical significance of oncogenes and growth factors in ovarian carcinomas. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 37:855–862
Carlin CR, Philips PD, Knowles BB (1982) Diminished in vitro tyrosine kinase activity of the EGF receptor of senescent human fibroblasts. Nature 306:617
Damjanov I, Mildner B, Knowles BB (1989) Immunohistochemical localization of the epidermal growth factor receptor in normal human tissue. Lab Invest 55:588–592
Defize LHK, Mummery CL, Moolenaar WH, Laat SW de (1987) Antireceptor antobodies in the study of EGF-receptor interaction. Cell Differ 20:87–102
Defize LHK, Boonstra J, Meisenkelder J, Kruyer W, Tertoolen LGJ, Tilly BC, Hunter T, Bergen en Henegouwen PMP van, Moolenaar WH, Laat SW de (1989) Signal transduction by epidermal growth factor occurs through the subclass of high affinity receptors. Cell Biol 109:2495–2507
Foekens JA, Portengen H, Putten WLJ van, Trapman AMA, Reubi JC, Alexieva-Figusch J, Klijn JGM (1989) Prognostic value of receptors for insulin-like growth factor-1, somatostatin, and epidermal growth factor in human breast cancer. Cancer Res 49:7002–7009
Gospodarowicz D (1983) Growth factors and action in vivo and in vitro. J Pathol 141:201–233
Gospodarowicz D, Brown KD, Birdwell CR (1978) Control of proliferation of human vascular endothelial cells. Characterization of the response of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to fibroblasts growth factor epidermal growth factor and thrombin. J Cell Biol 77:744–788
Green MR, Couchnan JR (1985) Differences in human skin between epidermal growth factor receptor distribution detected by EGF binding and monoclonal antibody recognition. J Invest Dermatol 85:239
Greig R, Dummington D, Murthy U, Anzano M (1988) Growth factors as novel therapeutic targets in neoplastic disease. Cancer Surv 7:404
Knedler A, Han RG (1987) Optimized medium for clonal growth of human microvascular endothelial cells with minimal serum. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol 23:481–491
Neal DE, Marsh C, Bennett MK, Abel PP, Hall RR, Sainsbury JCR, Harris AL (1985) Epidermal growth factor receptors in human bladder cancer: comparison of invasive and superficial tumors. Lancet I:346–348
Neyt JP, Ten Bokkel Huinink WW, Burg MEL van den, Oosterom AT van Vriesendorp R (1985) Randomized trial comparing two combination regimens (MexaCAF versus CHAP-5) in advanced ovarian cancer. Lancet II:594–600
Nicholson S, Halcrow P, Farndon JP, Sainsbury JRC, Chambers P, Harris AL (1989) Expression of epidermal growth factor receptors associated with lack of response to endocrine therapy in recurrent breast cancer. Lancet I:182–184
Nonomura A, Ohte G, Nakanuma Y, Izumi R, Mizukami Y, Fugitsugu M, Hayashi M, Watanabe K, Takayanagi N (1988) Simultaneous detection of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and ras p21 in cholangiocarcinoma by an immunocytochemical method. Liver 8:157–166
Reubi JC, Torhorst J (1988) EGF receptors in human breast cancer on viable and necrotic tumour cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 12:245–246
Sainsbury JR, Needmah GH, Farndon JR, Malcolm AJ, Harris AC (1987) Epidermal growth factor receptor status as predictor of early recurrence of and death from breast cancer. Lancet II:1398–1402
Schreiber AB, Winkler MF, Derynck R (1986) Transforming growth factor a. A more potent angiogenic mediator than epidermal growth factor. Science 222:1250–1253
Serov SF, Scully RE (1973) Histological typing of ovarian tumors: international classification of tumours, WHO Offset Publ 9
Shiurba RA, Lawrence F, Vogel H, Lee YL, Horoupian DS, Urich H (1988) Epidermal growth factor receptor in meningioma is expressed predominantly on endothelial cells. Cancer 62:2139–2144
Sutton GD, Stehman FB, Einhorn LH (1989) Ten-year follow-up of patients receiving cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy for advanced epithelial ovarian carcinoma. J Clin Oncol 7:223–229
Yasui W, Hata J, Yokozaki N, Hakatani H, Ochiai A, Ito H, Tahara E (1988) Interaction between epidermal growth factor and its receptor in progression of human gastric carcinoma. Int J Cancer 41:211–217
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by grant DDHK 90-05 from the Dutch Cancer Society “Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds”
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Henzen-Logmans, S.C., van der Burg, M.E.L., Foekens, J.A. et al. Occurrence of epidermal growth factor receptors in benign and malignant ovarian tumors and normal ovarian tissues: an immunohistochemical study. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 118, 303–307 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01208620
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01208620