Comparative analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA levels in normal, benign hyperplastic and carcinomatous prostate.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a mediator of mitogenic activity of epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor-alpha, has been shown to be associated with tumour progression. We have detected a level of EGFR transcript in normal, hyperplastic (BPH) and carcinomatous (CaP) prostate tissues by cytoplasmic dot hybridization. Our results show that the majority of CaP cases (62% of untreated cases and 71% of treated cases) were positive for EGFR mRNA while about 50% of normal and BPH cases were positive for EGFR mRNA. The level of EGFR transcript was significantly higher in the untreated CaP group as compared to the normal group (P < 0.05), while the difference in the normal and BPH groups was not statistically significant.