Abstract
ObjectiveTo investigate the HER2/c-erbB-2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein expression in gastric cancer and association with patients’ clinical pathology characteristics and prognosis.MethodsHER2/c-erbB-2 and EGFR protein expression was examined by immunohistochemical assay in gastric cancer tissue and corresponding paired normal gastric tissue of 67 patients of gastric carcinoma. The HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR protein positive expression rate in cancer tissue and normal gastric tissue were compared. The correlation between HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR protein positive expression and patients’ clinical pathology characteristics and survival was evaluated.ResultsThe positive expression rate of HER2/c-erbB-2 in the cancer and paired normal gastric tissues were 32.8% (22/67) and 4.5% (3/67), respectively with statistical difference (p<0.05). And the positive expression rate of EGFR in cancer and paired normal gastric tissues were 41.8% (28/67) and 5.9 (4/67), respectively, with statistical difference (p<0.05). HER2/c-erbB-2 positive expression in cancer tissue was significant correlated with the pathology grading (p<0.05), tumor invasion depth (p<0.05) and local regional lymph node metastasis (p<0.05); EGFR positive expression in cancer tissue was significant correlated with the tumor invasion depth (p<0.05) and local regional lymph node metastasis (p<0.05). The median survival time was 13.14 and 23.6 months respectively for HER2/c-erbB-2 positive and negative expression groups respectively with statistical difference ( HR=2.26, 9%CI:1.06-4.80, p<0.05). However, the median survival time was 15.47 and 22.87 months for EGFR positive and negative expression groups respectively, without statistical difference (HR=1.78, 9%CI:0.96-3.29, p>0.05).ConclusionPositive expression of HER2/c-erbB-2 and EGFR proteins in cancer tissue was significant higher than normal gastric tissue and have significant correlation with prognosis.
Highlights
Gastric cancer is one of the most diagnosed malignant carcinomas in the digestive system
HER2/c-erbB-2 protein mainly expressed in the cell membrane of gastric cancer cells with brownish yellow particles, (Figure 1)
HER2/c-erbB-2 positive expression in cancer tissue was significant correlated with the pathology grading (p
Summary
Gastric cancer is one of the most diagnosed malignant carcinomas in the digestive system. In 2012, more than 20,000 new cases of gastric cancer were diagnosed in the United States, with over 10,000 cases of deaths from gastric cancer being reported in the same year [1]. The over-expression of tumor oncogenes and the low expression of tumor suppressor genes may play important roles in the development of gastric cancer. HER2/c-erbB-2 is highly expressed in multiple malignancies of human beings and associated with the poor prognosis [2, 3]. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene is a protooncogene highly expressed in many tumors. We examined the HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR expression in cancer and normal gastric tissue of 67 patients with gastric carcinomaby immunohistochemistry assay and explored the correlation between HER2/c-erbB-2, EGFR expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis
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