In this study we have determined the prevalence of amplification of the proto-oncogenes c-erb B1 (= epidermal growth factor receptor gene), c-erb B2 and c-myc in 44 human intracranial tumours (27 gliomas, six metastases to the brain and 11 meningiomas).
In metastatic tumours, amplification of ERBB gene was detected in three metastatic tumours (9.4%), and all of them had allelic deletion of the LMYC gene.
Those carcinomas with a high percentage of positive cells with all antibodies were more likely to have metastasized to nodes, be at an advanced stage, and be oestrogen receptor-negative/epidermal growth factor receptor-positive.
Ligand binding assays showed that EGFR expression in the highly metastasizing cell lines MV3 and BLM was at least 40 times higher than in the cell lines IF6, 530, M14, and Mel57, which do not or only sporadically metastasize after subcutaneous inoculation in nude mice.
Aneuploid case was observed in 12 of observed 25 (48%) cases without lymph node metastasis, while it was observed in 16 of 17 cases (94.1%) with lymph node metastasis and there was significant association between DNA ploidy pattern and lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01) and most of the cases (17/20, 85%) were aneuploidy in Dukes C and D. The results above suggest that the expression of c-erbB-2 protein or EGFR was associated with distant metastasis, while on the other hand DNA ploidy pattern was correlated with lymph node metastasis.
In situ hybridization of paraffin-embedded sections of primary human colon carcinoma and metastases from liver and lymph node revealed cell-specific staining with EGF-R antisense oligonucleotide probes that correlated directly with Northern blot and immunohistochemistry analyses.
The receptor tyrosine kinase EGFR may be involved in late stage melanoma; the human exon with homology to Xmrk shows elevated transcription levels in 80% of human melanoma metastases.
No consensus as to the involvement of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in colorectal carcinomas has yet been attained, although they are assumed to play a role in the metastasis to lymph nodes and recurrence of breast carcinoma and bladder carcinoma invasion.
In a retrospective study the AGCN of the erbB genes and the time up to the appearance of metastases were subjected to life-table analysis in 128 women with primary breast cancer.
Up-regulated signaling from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been correlated with tumor invasion and metastasis in numerous human neoplasias.
EGFR expression of the cell lines was then correlated with their previously reported p53 expression, in vivo growth characteristics, and rate of metastases in athymic mice.
Thus, 64% (11/17) and 52% (10/19) of metastatic and non-metastatic tumors respectively showed gains of the relative genomic content of erbB-1 and an association of erbB-1 with prostate cancer but not with metastasis.
ErbB-2 amplification with a gene copy number > 1.6 in tumour tissue and erbB-1 deletion with a gene copy number < 0.4 in tumour-surrounding mucosa are of clinical relevance and indicate an early tumour recurrence or metastasis (p < 0.05).
Two melanoma cell lines with different metastatic potential were used to study the association of EGFR gene fragments with the nuclear matrix and its role in cancer metastasis by polymerase chain reaction.
The expression of most genes involved in tumourigenesis (p53, Rb, cyclin D1, myc, bcl-2, EGFR, neu, and E-cadherin) was similar in primary tumours and metastases.