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J Clin Pathol 2003;56:736-741 doi:10.1136/jcp.56.10.736
  • Original article

Immunohistochemical typing of non-small cell lung cancer on cryostat sections: correlation with clinical parameters and prognosis

  1. W Hilbe1,
  2. S Dirnhofer2,
  3. F Oberwasserlechner1,
  4. W Eisterer1,
  5. K Ammann3,
  6. T Schmid3,
  7. G Hilbe4,
  8. J Thaler5,
  9. E Wöll1
  1. 1Department of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck University Hospital, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  2. 2Institute of Pathology, University of Basel, A4003 Basel, Switzerland
  3. 3Department of Surgery, Innsbruck University Hospital, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
  4. 4Department of Surgery, Natters State Hospital, A-6161 Natters, Austria
  5. 5Department of Oncology, Hematology and Immunology, General Hospital, A-4600 Wels, Austria
  1. Correspondence to:
 Dr W Hilbe, Department of Internal Medicine, Innsbruck University Hospital, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria;
 wolfgang.hilbe{at}uibk.ac.at
  • Accepted 25 April 2003

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the immunohistochemical expression of a panel of biologically relevant markers in patients with non-small cell lung cancer using fresh frozen specimens and to test their prognostic relevance for identification of patients at risk.

Methods: Seventy nine tumour infiltrated lung cancer specimens and 66 adjacent histologically tumour free tissues were analysed; 11 postmortem specimens from patients who did not suffer from a malignant disease served as a control group. Cryostat sections were stained with monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), c-erbB-2, c-erbB-3, CD82, Ki-67, p120, p53, bcl-2, and CD31.

Results: At least one of the tested markers was raised above the defined cut off point in 75 of the tumours. In 55, three to six factors were increased. EGFR was raised in 32, c-erbB-2 in 29, c-erbB-3 in 46, p53 in 29, bcl-2 in 26, Ki-67 in 36, p120 in 46, and CD31 in 29. None of the tested parameters was significant in univariate survival analysis. In a second step, three variables were combined (c-erbB3, p53, and microvessel density), and cases with increased expression of two or three parameters proved to have a significantly lower survival probability than those expressing none or only one factor. In the tumour free group only 10 showed raised marker expression.

Conclusion: Characterisation of tumour cells in surgical specimens with immunohistological markers could help identify those patients at risk for early cancer death who could possibly profit from adjuvant treatment after curative tumour resection.

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