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Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human gliomas

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Summary

The expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was determined in cryosections of 42 human gliomas using biotinylated epidermal growth factor (B-EGF) and two monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against EGFR. All gliomas were found to express EGFR when examined with B-EGF, whereas 33 expressed EGFR when examined with the two mAbs. The highly malignant gliomas (glioblastomas and anaplastic astrocytomas) had a more heterogeneous staining pattern and a larger proportion of tumour cells staining strongly with B-EGF than did the low-grade gliomas (astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas, mixed gliomas, and ependymomas). This indicates that high-grade gliomas contain more tumour cells rich in EGFR than do the low-grade gliomas. Reactive astrocytes, ependymal cells, and many types of nerve cells (cerebral cortical pyramidal cells, pyramidal and granular hippocampal cells, Purkinje cells, cerebellar granular cells and neurons in the molecular layer of the cerebellum) expressed EGFR, whereas small neurons and normal glial cells were not found to express EGFR.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Institute of Cancer Research, University Hospital of Trondheim, N-7006, Trondheim, Norway

    Sverre H. Torp

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital of Trondheim, N-7006, Trondheim, Norway

    Eirik Helseth & Geirmund Unsgaard

  3. Department of Microbiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, N-7006, Trondheim, Norway

    Are Dalen

Authors
  1. Sverre H. Torp
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  2. Eirik Helseth
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  3. Are Dalen
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  4. Geirmund Unsgaard
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Torp, S.H., Helseth, E., Dalen, A. et al. Epidermal growth factor receptor expression in human gliomas. Cancer Immunol Immunother 33, 61–64 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01742530

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01742530

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