Evaluation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 in superspreading-type and penetrating-type gastric carcinoma.

The expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF alpha), and of c-erbB-2 was immunohistochemically investigated in resected gastric carcinoma (in 39 cases of superspreading type and in 11 cases of penetrating type), to understand the differential biological features of these two types of gastric carcinoma. EGF, EGFR and c-erbB-2 positive cases were preferentially found in penetrating type rather than in superspreading type (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.05, respectively). The positive rates of EGFR and c-erbB-2 were significantly higher in submucosal gastric carcinoma than in intramucosal gastric carcinoma (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively). These results suggested that the autocrine mechanism of the growth factors and the expression of c-erbB-2 were correlated to the degree of gastric wall invasion.