MULTIPARAMETER FLOW-CYTOMETRIC QUANTITATION OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR AND C-ERBB-2 ONCOPROTEIN IN NORMAL AND NEOPLASTIC TISSUES OF THE FEMALE GENITAL-TRACT

A novel multiparameter flow-cytometric method was used to quantify the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 oncoprotein on 85 cryopreserved normal tissues (30 ovary, 29 endometrium, 16 cervix) and 67 carcinomas (31 ovarian, 18 cervical, 15 endometrial, 3 vulvar). Overexpression of the EGFR and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins was found in respectively 3 31 (9%) and 10 31 (32%) ovarian carcinomas, 13 18 (72%) and 7 18 (38%) cervical carcinomas, and 2 15 (13%) and 2 15 (13%) endometrial carcinomas. Oncoprotein expression was significantly higher in the malignant tumors (for all tumor sites) than in the corresponding normal tissues (P < 0.034 for all combinations). Aneuploid tumors expressed levels of EGFR and cerbB-2 oncoprotein significantly higher than those of DNA diploid tumors (P = 0.042 and P = 0.048, respectively). Oncoprotein could be detected in nearly all normal tissues: expression was higher in premenopausal than in postmenopausal patients (EGFR, P = 0.07; c-erbB-2, P < 0.001). The present study supports the idea that EGFR and c-erbB-2 may play an important role in the autocrine, paracrine, and/or endocrine growth control and differentiation of normal tissues. Alteration in the expression of these oncoproteins is probably involved in malignant transformation and tumorigenesis. © 1991.