Animals ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; chemistry ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; Cholangiocarcinoma ; chemistry ; Cricetinae ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; Immunohistochemistry ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; Transforming Growth Factor alpha ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo investigate the level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in patients with medicament-like dermatitis by trichloroethylene (DMLT).

METHODSUsing radioimmunoassay methods, serum TNF-alpha, EGF were measured in 39 patients with DMLT and in 20 controls.

RESULTSThe levels of serum TNF-alpha, EGF in patients with DMLT [(0.278 +/- 0.092) ng/L, (6.71 +/- 2.28) microg/L, respectively] were significantly higher than those of the controls [(0.128 +/- 0.029) ng/L, (4.31 +/- 1.13) microg/L respectively, P<0.05, P<0.01].

CONCLUSIONThe increased levels of serum TNF-alpha, EGF in patients with DMLT may be related to the following causes: (1) Trichloroethylene and its metabolite may irritate the macrophagocyte and monocyte in human body to release TNF-alpha into blood stream; (2) Severe damage of epithelial tissue in patients with DMLT may promote more EGF synthesis to accelerate the regeneration and repair of epithelial tissue.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Drug Eruptions ; blood ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; Trichloroethylene ; toxicity ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; analysis

PURPOSE: Preclinical studies have shown that human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is associated with resistance to radiotherapy (RT). In this study, we evaluated the overall survival of a T1N0M0 breast cancer cohort in Korea according to the use of RT and the HER2 status. METHODS: We analyzed data collected from 11,552 patients with invasive breast cancer who were enrolled in the Korean Breast Cancer Society Registration Program between 1999 and 2007. Data on the TNM stage, estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, HER2 status, operation method, and the use of RT were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 51 months. A significant improvement in overall survival after RT was observed only in the HER2(-) group. In this group, the 10-year overall survival rate was 95.5% for patients who did not receive RT and 96.3% for patients who received RT (p=0.037). In contrast, in the HER2(+) group, RT was not associated with a survival benefit (p=0.887). Multivariate analysis showed that RT was significantly associated with a reduction in mortality in the HER2(-) group (hazard ratio, 0.738; 95% confidence interval, 0.549-0.993; p=0.045). CONCLUSION: We found that postoperative RT was not associated with a survival benefit in HER2(+) breast cancer patients, suggesting that HER2(+) breast cancers could be RT resistant.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cohort Studies ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Estrogens ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Multivariate Analysis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptor, erbB-2 ; Receptors, Progesterone ; Survival Rate

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; Female ; Ischemia ; physiopathology ; Kidney ; embryology ; metabolism ; Models, Animal ; Pregnancy ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; Uterus ; blood supply

PURPOSE: Among more than 500 microRNAs, microRNA-21 (miR-21) is known to act as an oncogene. The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of miR-21 expression level in relation with clinicopathological factors and prognosis in breast cancer. METHODS: MicroRNA was extracted from cancer and normal breast tissue of 109 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery from 2002 to 2004 using the Taqman(R) MicroRNA Assay. The correlation between miR-21 expression and clinicopathologic features was analyzed and the significance of miR-21 as a prognostic factor and its relationship with survival was determined. RESULTS: MiR-21 expression was higher in cancer tissues than in normal tissues (p<0.0001). High miR-21 expression was associated with mastectomy, larger tumor size, higher stage, higher grade, estrogen receptor (ER) negative, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) positive, HER2 positive breast cancer subtype, high Ki-67 expression, and death. On multivariate analysis, prognostic factors for overall survival were ER and miR-21. High miR-21 expression was significantly related to lower overall survival (p=0.031). CONCLUSION: This study supports the role of miR-21 as an oncogene and a biomarker for breast cancer with its high expression in cancer tissues and its relationship with other prognostic factors and survival.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Carcinoma, Ductal ; Estrogens ; Humans ; Mastectomy ; MicroRNAs ; Multivariate Analysis ; Oncogenes ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Receptor, erbB-2

PURPOSE: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression of colorectal cancer and leads to the activation of intracellular signaling pathways. The use of anti-EGFR-targeted therapy has increased for patients with colorectal cancer, but patients with EGFR mutations will be resistant to anti-EGFR-targeted therapy. The identification of gene mutations is critical in cancer treatment; therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the incidences of EGFR mutations in colorectal cancer patients in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 58 colorectal cancer patients who underwent surgery between 2003 and 2006. We analyzed their EGFR mutations in four loci by DNA sequencing. In addition, we analyzed the correlation between the presence of EGFR mutation and patients' clinicopathologic features. RESULTS: Of the 58 patients, 35 patients were male and 23 were female. Their mean age was 63.28 +/- 11.18 years. Two patients (3.45%) were diagnosed as stage Tis, 7 patients (12.07%) as stage I, 24 patients (41.38%) as stage II, 20 patients (34.48%) as stage III, and 5 patients (8.62%) as stage IV. As a result of mutational analysis, EGFR mutations on exon 20 were detected in 13 patients (22.41%, G-->A transitions). No EGFR mutations were detected on exons 18, 19, and 21. EGFR mutation was increased in the earlier stage and in the absence of lymph node metastasis (P = 0.028). CONCLUSION: The incidence of EGFR mutation in Korean colorectal cancer patients is 22.41%. In addition, EGFR mutation was significantly increased in the earlier stage and in the absence of lymph node metastasis.
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lymph Nodes ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Retrospective Studies ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

A nodular density was detected on a chest radiograph taken from a 57-year-old Korean woman who was visiting a hospital for a routine check. Chest computed tomography revealed a 4.8 cm lobulated mass in the right lung and another focal nodular lesion in the left lung; biopsies of both lungs revealed adenocarcinoma. We conducted DNA sequencing and peptide nucleic acid clamping to investigate the potential double primary lung cancer. The results verified that the mass in the right lung had a mutation in the epidermal growth factor receptor, whereas the nodule in the left lung had a wild-type sequence, showing that these two were genetically different cancers from one another. Thus, we demonstrate that genetic testing is useful in determining double primary lung cancer, and we herein report on this case.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Biopsy ; Constriction ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Female ; Genetic Testing ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; Lung* ; Middle Aged ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Thorax

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane glycoprotein whose expression is a possible cause of increased tumor cell proliferation and has recently been proposed as a prognostic parameter in some tumors. Expression of EGFR was studied immunohistochemically in 62 cases of human renal cell carcinomas to evaluate their possible prognostic roles. We also examined the correlation between EGFR expression and cell proliferation by immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Fifty-six cases (90.3%) expressed EGFR, with staining largely confined to the cell membrane and cytoplasm. Staining intensity of EGFR was directly correlated with nuclear grade (p=0.000) and TNM stage (p=0.015). PCNA index was significantly higher in EGFR-positive tumors than in EGFR- negative tumors. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between PCNA index and increasing staining intensity of EGFR (p=0.000). In univariate survival analysis, EGFR expression was significantly associated with shortened survival. However, EGFR expression was not an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. These findings suggest that EGFR expression may be an important cause of tumor cell proliferation in renal cell carcinoma and further studies are needed to evaluate whether EGFR expression analysis provides independent prognostic information.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell* ; Cell Membrane ; Cell Proliferation* ; Cytoplasm ; Epidermal Growth Factor* ; Glycoproteins ; Humans ; Multivariate Analysis ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor*

OBJECTIVETo investigate the epidermal growth factor(EGF) and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR) expression in atrophic gastritis in rats to explore the relationship between EGF and chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG).

METHODSThe serum EGF and gastric mucosal, EGFR level were measured in 20 rats with CAG and 20 normal controls.

RESULTSThe average EGF level (0.149+/-0.020) microg/L and 80% positive rate of EGFR expression observed in CAG group were significantly higher than those in control group[(0.043+/-0.003) microg/L and 0%,P<0.01].

CONCLUSIONThe study demonstrates an association of high levels of EGF and positive EGFR expression in CAG rats. Further studies are necessary to clarify whether EGF/EGFR play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CAG.

Animals ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; blood ; physiology ; Gastric Mucosa ; chemistry ; Gastritis, Atrophic ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; analysis ; physiology

OBJECTIVES: Human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) and 3 (HER3) belong to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family of transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinases. In this study, we assessed HER2/HER3 expression levels in specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer and determined their correlation with clinical features of ovarian cancer. METHODS: Tissue microarrays (TMAs) were prepared from paraffin blocks of 105 ovarian tumour samples. HER2, HER3, PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, p-mTOR, S6, and p-S6 expression levels were investigated using immunohistochemistry (IHC). HER2 and HER3 amplifications were determined using in situ hybridization (ISH). The correlation between HER2/3 expression and disease outcome of the patients including surgical outcome, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was analysed. RESULTS: HER2 positivity was 3.8% by IHC and 5.7% by ISH, whereas that of HER3 was 12.4% and 8.6%, respectively. HER2 status by either IHC or ISH was not related to PFS (p=0.128, 0.168, respectively) and OS (p=0.245, 0.164, respectively). However, the HER3 status determined using fluorescence ISH was associated with poor PFS (p=0.035 on log rank test), which was a significant risk factor even after adjusting other possible risk factors in multivariate analysis (hazard ratio=2.377 [1.18–7.49], p=0.021). Expressions of Akt, p-mTOR, and S6 were also related with poor progression (p=0.008, 0.049, 0.014, respectively). CONCLUSION: HER3 is possibly an independent marker for poor prognosis in individuals with ovarian cancer, as the HER3 signalling pathway is distinct from that of HER2. The possibility of targeted therapy for patients with HER3 alteration in ovarian cancer should be evaluated.
Disease-Free Survival ; Epidermal Growth Factor ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Multivariate Analysis ; Ovarian Neoplasms ; Paraffin ; Phosphotransferases ; Prognosis ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; Risk Factors ; Tyrosine