Quantitation of Harvey ras p21 enhanced expression in human breast and colon carcinomas

Molecular studies have demonstrated increased expression of the Harvey (Ha) ras oncogene in human breast and colon carcinomas. With the use of a direct-binding liquid competition radioimmunoassay (RIA), capable of providing truly quantitative analysis of the 21,000-dalton (p21) ras oncogene and protooncogene products, absolute levels of Ha-ras p21 have been determined in human breast and colon carcinomas, benign lesions, and/or their respective normal tissues. Enhanced Ha-ras expression was documented in 66% of breast and 100% of colon carcinomas as compared with their normal counterparts, with levels in breast carcinomas ranging from 10.1 to 50.4 pg ras p21/micrograms protein and those in colon carcinomas ranging from 18.4 to 51.7 pg ras p21/micrograms protein. Some dysplastic lesions of the breast and colon also contained elevated Ha-ras p21. Relative levels of Ha-ras p21 expression, detected by competition RIA, correlated with percent Ha-ras p21-positive cells as determined by immunohistochemical assays. By use of liquid competition RIA and immunohistochemical assays, it has been shown that levels of ras p21 expression did not always correlate between primary and metastatic colon lesions of the same patient. The use of the quantitative RIA and semiquantitative immunohistochemical assays, in concert with cDNA probes for identification of specific ras point-mutated oncogenes or protooncogenes, may now provide the means for definitive quantitative analyses of ras p21 in human carcinomas and benign lesions.