[Study of the amplification and expression of c-erbB2 oncogene in epithelial ovarian tumors]

Protooncogene c-erbB2 amplification and expression were studied in 62 cases of epithelial ovarian tumor by using immunohistochemical method and in situ hybridization. c-erbB2 gene amplification was observed in 30 of 47 ovarian cancers (63.8%) and in none of 15 benign tumors. The gene expression was found in 38 of the former and in 9 of the latter tumors. The gene amplification showed significant difference between malignant and benign tumors (P < 0.01). But for gene expression, only the strongly positive staining demonstrated significant difference (P < 0.01). There was correlation between c-erbB2 gene amplification and expression in epithelial ovarian carcionoma. The status of c-erbB2 gene amplification and expression had no relationship with histopathological types of ovarian carcinoma. The results indicate that there is extensive expression of c-erbB2 in epithelial ovarian tumors and it is over-expressed in ovarian carcinoma. Gene amplification is perhaps only one way by which c-erb2 gene is activated, and its overexpression might be one of the factors that promotes epithelial ovarian cancer development.