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The complete family of epidermal growth factor receptors and their ligands are co-ordinately expressed in breast cancer

McIntyre, Emmet, Blackburn, Edith, Brown, Philip J., Johnson, Colin G., Gullick, William J. (2010) The complete family of epidermal growth factor receptors and their ligands are co-ordinately expressed in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 122 (1). pp. 105-110. ISSN 0167-6806. (doi:10.1007/s10549-009-0536-5) (KAR id:31380)

Abstract

The levels of expression of the four receptors and eleven ligands composing the Epidermal Growth Factor family were measured using immunohistochemical staining in one hundred cases of breast cancer. All of the family were expressed to some degree in some cases, however individual cases showed a very wide range of expression of the family from essentially none to all the factors at high levels. The highest aggregate level of expression of a receptor was HER2 followed by HER1, then HER3, then HER4. The ligands (including two splice variants of the NRG1 and NRG2 genes) broadly fell into three groups, those with the highest aggregate expression were Epigen, Epiregulin, Neuregulin 1?, Neuregulin 2?, Neuregulin 2?, Neuregulin 4 and TGF?, moderate expression was seen with EGF, Neuregulin 1? and Neuregulin 3, and relatively low levels of expression were seen of HB-EGF, Betacellulin and Amphiregulin. Statistical analysis using Spearman’s Rank Correlation showed a positive correlation of expression between each of the factors. Analysing the data using the Cox Proportional Hazards model showed that, in this data set, the most powerful predictors of relapse free interval and overall survival were the combined measurement of only Epigen and Neuregulin 4.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1007/s10549-009-0536-5
Uncontrolled keywords: ErbB; Growth factor; Growth factor receptor; Prognosis; Breast cancer
Subjects: Q Science
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Depositing User: Susan Davies
Date Deposited: 08 Oct 2012 13:31 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:09 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/31380 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Blackburn, Edith.

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Brown, Philip J..

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Johnson, Colin G..

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9236-6581
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Gullick, William J..

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