Gerosa M A, Talarico D, Fognani C, Raimondi E, Colombatti M, Tridente G, De Carli L, Della Valle G
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Verona, Italy.
J Natl Cancer Inst. 1989 Jan 4;81(1):63-7. doi: 10.1093/jnci/81.1.63.
Five human glioblastoma cell lines were analyzed for oncogene activation with a panel of probes. Abnormal expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFr) gene was detected in four of five lines; N-ras oncogene overexpression was found in all five cell lines. These results were subsequently confirmed with fresh brain tumor and nonneoplastic brain tissue biopsy samples; increased expression of the N-ras proto-oncogene was observed in five of five glioblastomas, all of which also showed EGFr gene overexpression, but not in well-differentiated gliomas or in nonneoplastic brain tissue specimens. No significant differences in Ha-ras and Ki-ras expression were observed. Preliminary histochemical observations showed that intracellular levels of transforming growth factor alpha, a putative biochemical link between these two oncogenes, were significantly higher in glioblastoma cells than in controls.
