Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of epidermal growth factor receptor in lung cancer: comparisons with immunohistochemistry, clinicopathological features and prognosis

The prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) remains controversial in patients with lung cancer. Previous assays for EGFR have primarily been qualitative or, at best, semiquantitative. In the present study, using fresh-frozen tissue from 190 unselected lung cancer patients, quantif...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of cancer 1998-07, Vol.78 (1), p.96-99
Main Authors: Pfeiffer, P, Nexø, E, Bentzen, SM, Clausen, PP, Andersen, K, Rose, C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Cancer Research
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - chemistry
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology
Drug Resistance
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Epidemiology
ErbB Receptors - analysis
experimental-therapeutics
Female
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lung Neoplasms - chemistry
Lung Neoplasms - pathology
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Molecular Medicine
Neoplasm Proteins - analysis
Oncology
Pneumology
Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum
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Summary:The prognostic role of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) remains controversial in patients with lung cancer. Previous assays for EGFR have primarily been qualitative or, at best, semiquantitative. In the present study, using fresh-frozen tissue from 190 unselected lung cancer patients, quantification of EGFR (EGFR(ELISA)) using a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was compared with results (EGFR(IHC)) obtained using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Correlation between results obtained by the two different techniques was highly significant (r(s) = 0.63, P < 0.001, n = 190). This correlation improved even further (r(s) = 0.76) when sections were estimated using an IHC score that took into account percentage staining, intensity and relative tumour area. Furthermore, the relationship between clinicopathological features and prognosis was identical for the two methods. The expression of EGFR was highest in squamous cell carcinomas, but it was not correlated with other characteristics such as age, sex, histological grading, stage or prognosis. We conclude that evaluation of EGFR content using IHC and ELISA produces comparable results.
ISSN:0007-0920
1532-1827
DOI:10.1038/bjc.1998.448