IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE EXPRESSION OF EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR (EGF) IN HUMAN GASTRIC CARCINOMAS

Abstract

The expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in terms of proliferation and progress of the tumors was immunohistochemically studied in 94 resected gastric carcinomas by using anti-human EGF antibody. EGF were predominantly expressed in carcinomas of type, ps(+), and in stage III or IV. EGF expression was associated with high incidence of lymph node metastasis. In the carcinomas of C lesion of the stomach, the ratio of EGF(+) cases was higher in poorly differentiated type than in well differentiated type. Five year survival rate of the cases with EGF(+) carcinoma had lower than of EGF(-) cases. These results suggested that expression of EGF could be a valuable marker for predicting prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma.