Malignant Potential and Correlation between Prostaglandins, c-erbB-2 Oncoprotein Expression and Ploidy Pattern in Colon Cancer

Tsuneyuki Yoshida, Masashi Kanazawa, Hiroshi Mizunuma, Fumiaki Watanabe, Youichi Kikuchi, Hisayoshi Satoh, Yoshiroh Andoh, Shinichi Takeuchi*, Atsuo Tsuchiya, Rikiya Abe

Second Department of Surgery, Fukushima Medical College
*Ohhara General Hospital

The relation between prostaglandins, c-erbB-2 and DNA ploidy pattern was investigated in 55 patients with colon cancer (11 with hepatic metastasis and 44 without hepatic metastasis) to assess malignant potential. The c-erbB-2 oncoprotein was immunohistochemically stained using a polyclonal antibody. Prostaglandin E₂ and D₂ were determined by the DCC method. DNA ploidy was determined from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue using an Epics-751 flow cytometer. The positive staining rate of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in the positive metastatic group was higher than that in the negative group. The DNA aneuploidy rate and mean of D.I. in the positive staining group were higher than those in the negative staining group. Therefore, it is suggested that c-erbB-2 might be an indicator for assessing the malignant potential of colon cancer. PGE₂ and D₂ tissue concentrations were lower in the positive metastatic group and/or positive oncoprotein cases. These findings suggest that PGs might play a role in inhibiting hepatic metastasis in colon cancer.

Key words
prostaglandin E₂, prostaglandin D₂, c-erbB-2, hepatic metastasis of colon cancer

Reprint requests
Tsuneyuki Yoshida Second Department of Surgery, Fukushima Medical College
1-Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, 960 JAPAN

Accepted
November 9, 1994

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