Comparison of c-erbB-2 Oncoprotein Expression in Serum and Tissue of Gastric Cancer Patients

Kim, Jin Ju

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A soluble fragment of the c-erbB-2 oncoprotein become detectable in the serum of the gastric cancer patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).
METHODS
Serum c-erbB-2 levels of 67 gastric cancer patients are measured. In 27 patients, tissue levels of c-erbB-2 in paired normal and gastric cancer tissues are measured by ELISA(Triton Diagnostics Inc., USA).
RESULTS
As 14 U/mL for positivity, the sero-positivity of the c-erbB-2 was 33%(22/67). The positivity showed no differences in cancer stages and tumor differentiations(well-moderate 29%, poor-signet ring cell type 35%). Tissue c-erbB-2 level was 390+/-284 U/mL and 568+/-536 U/mL in normal and cancer tissue, respectively. Blood c-erbB-2 level did not correlate with either cancer tissue c-erbB-2 level or normal tissue c-erbB-2 level. Nineteen out of 27 patients showed higher c-erbB-2 levels in cancer than normal tissues. The positivity of c-erbB-2 in serum was 7 out of 19 c-erbB-2 positive cancer tissue, whereas the positivity in serum was one out of 8 c-erbB-2 negative cancer tissue.
CONCLUSIONS
Elevated blood c-erbB-2 oncoprotein level might reflect elevated c-erbB-2 level of gastric cancer tissue.