Abstract
Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was assayed radioimmunologically in three secretions of the human mammary gland: milk ( n = 16), colostrum ( n = 8) and breast cyst fluid ( n = 139). The immunoreactivity (immunoreactive EGF) detected in these three fluids corresponds directly to monomeric EGF, as can be shown by the complete cross-reaction with the standard and the identical behaviour in chromatography on Sephadex G 50. The mean concentration of EGF is significantly greater in breast cyst fluid ( 241 ± 143 ng/ml) and in colostrum ( 197 ± 56 ng/ml) than in milk ( 107 ± 22 ng/ml). The range of individual values in cyst fluid is large, 5–945 ng/ml. A possible role of EGF as a paracrine or autocrine factor in the pathology of cystic dysplasia of the mammary gland and in the increased risk of malignant transformation is hypothesised.
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