Virchows Archiv

, Volume 446, Issue 6, pp 596–603 | Cite as

Cytoplasmic expression of c-erbB2 in non-small cell lung cancers

  • Chun-Mei Cheng
  • Koichi Tsuneyama
  • Kazuhiro Matsui
  • Hiroyuki Takahashi
  • Shin Ishizawa
  • Yasuo Takano
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of c-erbB2 in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with attention both to membranous and cytoplasmic reaction, and to try to elucidate the meaning of cytoplasmic expression of c-erbB2 in NSCLCs. Immunohistochemical c-erbB2 expression and related clinico-pathological features were examined in 312 surgically resected patient tissues of NSCLCs, including 175 cases of adenocarcinoma and 137 cases of squamous cell carcinoma. Immunostaining of inner- and ecto-domain of c-erbB2, mRNA expression and the quantitation of soluble c-erbB2 in cultured media were performed in five NSCLC cell lines. Cytoplasmic expression of c-erbB2 was observed more frequently than membranous, both in patient tissues and cell lines. Neither membranous nor cytoplasmic expression of c-erbB2 was significantly correlated with short outcome in NSCLCs. Membranous c-erbB2 was expressed by both inner and ecto-domain, while cytoplasmic c-erbB2 was expressed by either or both inner and ecto-domain. c-erbB2 mRNA was produced in most cell lines; however, the soluble form was only detectable in a cell line that only presented a membranous c-erbB2. In conclusion, cytoplasmic c-erbB2 of NSCLCs was not a full-length protein only expressed in cellular membrane, but reflected degenerated c-erbB2 fragments with less functional ability.

Keywords

c-erbB2 Cytoplasmic expression Non-small cell lung cancers 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We particularly thank Mr. Tokimasa Kumada and Hideki Hatta for their excellent technical support. This work was supported in part by a grant from the 21st century COE program in Japan, R&D, for the practical use of university-based technology by matching government funds and private funds from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (No. 0320003), Grants-in-Aid for scientific research from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (No. 16790183), and from Honjin and Japan Diabetes Foundations. Support was also obtained from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research 14770072 and 15922084.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  • Chun-Mei Cheng
    • 1
    • 2
  • Koichi Tsuneyama
    • 1
    • 2
  • Kazuhiro Matsui
    • 3
  • Hiroyuki Takahashi
    • 1
  • Shin Ishizawa
    • 1
  • Yasuo Takano
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of PathologyToyama Medical and Pharmaceutical UniversityToyamaJapan
  2. 2.21st Century COE ProgramToyama Medical and Pharmaceutical UniversityToyamaJapan
  3. 3.Forensic PathologyToyama Medical and Pharmaceutical UniversityToyamaJapan

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