Aasland R, Akslen L A, Varhaug J E, Lillehaug J R
Laboratory of Biotechnology, University of Bergen, Norway.
Int J Cancer. 1990 Sep 15;46(3):382-7. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910460308.
Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) is frequently coexpressed with its receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R), in several types of carcinoma and sarcoma. It is believed that this results in an autocrine stimulation of tumor growth in these tumors. We have found that TGF-alpha and EGF-R/c-erbB RNAs were co-expressed at significantly higher levels in papillary thyroid carcinomas and their lymph-node metastases than in non-neoplastic thyroid tissues. We also observed a low level of expression of RNA specific for insulin-like growth factor I in these tumors, which was highest in a lymph-node metastasis. Autocrine stimulation by TGF-alpha may thus be a common feature of papillary carcinomas of the thyroid. Since EGF is known to induce proliferation and dedifferentiation of normal thyroid cells in culture, TGF-alpha and its receptor may play an important role in thyroid carcinogenesis.
转化生长因子α（TGF-α）在几种类型的癌和肉瘤中常与其受体表皮生长因子受体（EGF-R）共同表达。据信，这会导致这些肿瘤中肿瘤生长的自分泌刺激。我们发现，TGF-α和EGF-R/c-erbB RNA在甲状腺乳头状癌及其淋巴结转移灶中的共表达水平明显高于非肿瘤性甲状腺组织。我们还观察到这些肿瘤中胰岛素样生长因子I特异性RNA的表达水平较低，在淋巴结转移灶中最高。因此，TGF-α的自分泌刺激可能是甲状腺乳头状癌的一个共同特征。由于已知EGF可在培养中诱导正常甲状腺细胞增殖和去分化，TGF-α及其受体可能在甲状腺癌发生中起重要作用。
