Abstract

Recent investigations have revealed that autocrine growth factors and their receptors are closely related and play an important role in controlling cancer cell growth. We performed an immunohistochemical study on the expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), c-erbB-2, and PCNA labelling index in 60 cases of human gastric carcinomas. TGF-alpha was detected in 38 cases (63.3%), EGF in 26 cases (43.3%), EGF-R in 44 cases (73.3%), and c-erbB-2 in 18 cases (30%). These growth factors, EGF-R and c-erbB-2, were found more often in advanced gastric cancers. The PCNA labeling index was significantly higher in tumors with the expression of EGF-R or c-erbB-2. Tumors with simultaneous expression of EGF, TGF-alpha, EGF-R and c-erbB-2 was associated with a high PCNA labeling index. A correlation was observed between the synchronous expression of growth factors and its receptors and histological differentiation. The results suggest that the expression of EGF, TGF-alpha, EGF-R and c-erbB-2 are closely related and plays an important role in the growth and progression of human gastric carcinoma.

• Keywords: Gastric carcinoma;EGF;TGF-alpha;EGF-R;c-erbB-2