Correlationship Between c-erbB-2 Protein Expression and Clinical Outcome in Colorectal Cancer

Shiro Nakae, Tomoaki Urakawa, Kiyoshi Uematsu

Department of Surgery, Kobe Rosai Hospital

Forty-four frozen samples of surgically removed colorectal cancer were subjected to: (1) c-erbB-2 protein staining with a monoclonal antibody to c-erbB-2 protein and (2) analysis of nuclear DNA content by flow cytometry. The overall c-erbB-2 protein-positive rate was 25/44 (56.8%). There was no significant difference in the rate between well-differentiated adenocarcinoma (19/34), moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (4/7). In relation to the depth of cancer, the incidence of c-erbB-2 protein was 0/1 in m cases, 1/2 in sm cases, l/2 in pm cases, 6/10 i ss (a₁) cases, 15/23 in s (a₂) cases, and 2/6 in si (ai) cases. There was also no significant difference in the rate between patients without (16/26) and those with lymph node metastasis (9/18). The incidence tended to be higher in cases with lymphatic vessel invasion: 2/8 in ly₀ cases, 23/36 in ly_1-3 cases. The incidence was 1/4 at stage I, 11/16 at stage II,3/6 at stage III, 1/8 at stage IV and 9/10 at stage V. Aneuploidy was observed in 28/42 cases. The incidence of c-erbB-2 protein did not differ significantly in diploidy cases (11/14) from that in aneuploidy cases (14/28). These results suggest that the expression of c-erbB-2 protein in colorectal cancer is associated with distant metastasis, and that it serves as an index of the malignancy level of colorectal cancer independent of DNA ploidy patterns.

Key words
colorectal carcinoma, c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, DNA ploidy pattern

Reprint requests
Shiro Nakae
2-4-28 Minami-Mukonoso, Amagasaki-shi, 661 JAPAN

Accepted
July 6, 1992

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