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Banys-Paluchowski M, Witzel I, Riethdorf S, Rack B, Janni W, Fasching PA, Solomayer EF, Aktas B, Kasimir-Bauer S, Pantel K, Fehm T, Müller V. Evaluation of serum epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in correlation to circulating tumor cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17307. [PMID: 29229933 PMCID: PMC5725555 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17514-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor in breast cancer is associated with estrogen receptor negativity, higher histological grade and larger tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum EGFR (sEGFR) in relation to circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in metastatic breast cancer. 252 patients were enrolled in this prospective multicentre study. Blood was drawn before start of a new line of therapy. sEGFR was determined using a sandwich-type ELISA. CTCs were detected using CellSearch. sEGFR was determined in 48 healthy controls and 252 patients, with no significant differences between the two groups. Clinical-pathological parameters did not correlate with sEGFR, irrespective of the cutoff chosen. Patients with sEGFR levels above the 50th and 75th percentile were more likely to present with <5 CTCs per 7.5 ml blood (p = 0.007; p = 0.003). Patients with sEGFR ≥73 ng/ml had significantly longer overall survival than those with sEGFR <73 ng/ml (19.7 vs. 15.2 months; p = 0.007). In the multivariate analysis, presence of ≥5 CTCs, higher grading and higher line of therapy remained independent predictors of shorter OS, while only higher line of therapy and presence of ≥5 CTCs were independent predictors of shorter PFS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Isabell Witzel
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sabine Riethdorf
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Brigitte Rack
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Janni
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Erich-Franz Solomayer
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Saarland University Hospital, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Bahriye Aktas
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sabine Kasimir-Bauer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Klaus Pantel
- Department of Tumour Biology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tanja Fehm
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Volkmar Müller
- Department of Gynecology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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2
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Zarschler K, Prapainop K, Mahon E, Rocks L, Bramini M, Kelly PM, Stephan H, Dawson KA. Diagnostic nanoparticle targeting of the EGF-receptor in complex biological conditions using single-domain antibodies. NANOSCALE 2014; 6:6046-6056. [PMID: 24777583 DOI: 10.1039/c4nr00595c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
For effective localization of functionalized nanoparticles at diseased tissues such as solid tumours or metastases through biorecognition, appropriate targeting vectors directed against selected tumour biomarkers are a key prerequisite. The diversity of such vector molecules ranges from proteins, including antibodies and fragments thereof, through aptamers and glycans to short peptides and small molecules. Here, we analyse the specific nanoparticle targeting capabilities of two previously suggested peptides (D4 and GE11) and a small camelid single-domain antibody (sdAb), representing potential recognition agents for the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). We investigate specificity by way of receptor RNA silencing techniques and look at increasing complexity in vitro by introducing increasing concentrations of human or bovine serum. Peptides D4 and GE11 proved problematic to employ and conjugation resulted in non-receptor specific uptake into cells. Our results show that sdAb-functionalized particles can effectively target the EGFR, even in more complex bovine and human serum conditions where targeting specificity is largely conserved for increasing serum concentration. In human serum however, an inhibition of overall nanoparticle uptake is observed with increasing protein concentration. For highly affine targeting ligands such as sdAbs, targeting a receptor such as EGFR with low serum competitor abundance, receptor recognition function can still be partially realised in complex conditions. Here, we stress the value of evaluating the targeting efficiency of nanoparticle constructs in realistic biological milieu, prior to more extensive in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Zarschler
- Institute of Radiopharmaceutical Cancer Research, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf, Bautzner Landstraße 400, D-01328 Dresden, Germany.
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Leslie KK, Sill MW, Fischer E, Darcy KM, Mannel RS, Tewari KS, Hanjani P, Wilken JA, Baron AT, Godwin AK, Schilder RJ, Singh M, Maihle NJ. A phase II evaluation of gefitinib in the treatment of persistent or recurrent endometrial cancer: a Gynecologic Oncology Group study. Gynecol Oncol 2013; 129:486-94. [PMID: 23438670 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2013.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Revised: 02/07/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A phase II trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of gefitinib in patients with persistent/recurrent endometrial cancer. METHODS Women with histologically confirmed persistent/recurrent endometrial cancer were treated with 500mg oral gefitinib daily until progression or severe toxicity, with progression-free survival (PFS) at six months as the primary endpoint. Tumor expression of total epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor A (PRA) and B (PRB), Ki67, pEGFR and activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (pERK) were examined pre- and post-treatment. EGFR was sequenced, and serum concentrations of soluble EGFR (sEGFR) at baseline also were examined. RESULTS Of 29 patients enrolled, 26 were evaluable for efficacy and toxicity. Four patients experienced PFS ≥6 months, and one had a complete response which was not associated with an EGFR mutation. The concentration of sEGFR in pretreatment serum was positively correlated with overall survival (OS), but not with responsiveness to gefitinib in this small patient cohort. Expression of tumor biomarkers was not associated with PFS or OS. Co-expression of ER with PRA in primary and recurrent tumors, and pEGFR with pERK in primary tumors was observed. CONCLUSIONS This treatment regimen was tolerable but lacked sufficient efficacy to warrant further evaluation in this setting. The possible association between serum sEGFR concentrations and OS, and temporal changes in expression of pEGFR and pERK and the documented CR of one patient are interesting and warrant additional investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly K Leslie
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.
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4
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Cosentino-Boehm AL, Lafky JM, Greenwood TM, Kimbler KD, Buenafe MC, Wang Y, Branscum AJ, Yang P, Maihle NJ, Baron AT. Soluble Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 (sHER2) as a Potential Risk Assessment, Screening, and Diagnostic Biomarker of Lung Adenocarcinoma. Diagnostics (Basel) 2013; 3:13-32. [PMID: 26835666 PMCID: PMC4665577 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics3010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2012] [Revised: 12/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Here, we evaluated the potential clinical utility of soluble human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (sHER2) for the risk assessment, screening, and diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using an unmatched case-control study design. Serum sHER2 concentrations were measured by immunoassay in 244 primary NSCLC cases and 218 healthy controls. Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, logistic regression models, and receiver operating characteristic plots were used to assess whether sHER2 is associated with lung cancer. Median serum sHER2 concentrations are higher in patients with adenocarcinoma than squamous cell carcinoma regardless of gender, and sHER2 is a weak, independent biomarker of adenocarcinoma, but not of squamous cell carcinoma, adjusted for age and gender. The age-adjusted relative risk (odds) of adenocarcinoma is 3.95 (95% CI: 1.22, 12.81) and 7.93 (95% CI: 2.26, 27.82) greater for women and men with high sHER2 concentrations (≥6.60 ng/mL) vs. low sHER2 concentrations (≤1.85 ng/mL), respectively. When adjusted for each other, sHER2, age, and gender discern healthy controls from patients with primary adenocarcinomas of the lung with 85.9% accuracy. We conclude that even though serum sHER2 is not a strong, stand-alone discriminatory biomarker of adenocarcinoma, sHER2 may be a useful, independent covariate in multivariate risk assessment, screening, and diagnostic models of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abby L Cosentino-Boehm
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Biomedical Informatics Center, NUCATS 750 N. Lake Shore Dr., 11th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Jacqueline M Lafky
- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Tammy M Greenwood
- Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Kimberly D Kimbler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Kentucky, Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
| | - Marites C Buenafe
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536 ,USA.
| | - Yuxia Wang
- University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA.
| | - Adam J Branscum
- School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA.
| | - Ping Yang
- Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, 200 First Street S.W., Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
| | - Nita J Maihle
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, P.O. Box 2068063, New Haven, CT 06520 ,USA.
| | - Andre T Baron
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Kentucky, Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky, College of Public Health, 111 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY 40536, USA.
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5
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Soluble epidermal growth factor receptor isoforms in non-small cell lung cancer tissue and in blood. Lung Cancer 2012; 76:332-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lungcan.2011.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Revised: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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6
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Cristofanilli M, Valero V, Mangalik A, Royce M, Rabinowitz I, Arena FP, Kroener JF, Curcio E, Watkins C, Bacus S, Cora EM, Anderson E, Magill PJ. Phase II, randomized trial to compare anastrozole combined with gefitinib or placebo in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res 2010; 16:1904-14. [PMID: 20215537 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-09-2282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 138] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This phase II randomized trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of anastrozole combined with gefitinib or anastrozole with placebo in women with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive measurable or evaluable MBC who had not received prior endocrine therapy for this disease stage or who developed metastatic disease during/after adjuvant tamoxifen were eligible. The primary response variable was progression-free survival (PFS) and secondary response variables included clinical benefit rate, objective response rate, overall survival, safety and tolerability, and pharmacokinetics. Tumor biomarker evaluation was an exploratory objective. RESULTS Forty-three patients were randomized to anastrozole plus gefitinib and 50 patients were randomized to anastrozole plus placebo of a planned total of 174 patients (enrollment was prematurely discontinued due to slow recruitment). PFS for patients receiving the combination of anastrozole and gefitinib was longer than for patients receiving anastrozole plus placebo [hazard ratio (gefitinib/placebo), 0.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.94; median PFS, 14.7 versus 8.4 months]. The clinical benefit rate was 49% versus 34%, and the objective response rate was 2% versus 12% with anastrozole plus gefitinib and anastrozole plus placebo, respectively. No evidence of interaction between baseline biomarker levels and relative treatment effect was found. No unexpected adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION This small randomized study showed that anastrozole in combination with gefitinib is associated with a marked advantage in PFS compared with anastrozole plus placebo, and that the combination was tolerated in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive MBC. Further investigation of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition in combination with endocrine therapy may be warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Massimo Cristofanilli
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas 77030-1439, USA.
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7
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Baron AT, Lafky JM, Boardman CH, Cora EM, Buenafe MC, Liu D, Rademaker A, Fishman DA, Podratz KC, Reiter JL, Maihle NJ. Soluble epidermal growth factor receptor: a biomarker of epithelial ovarian cancer. Cancer Treat Res 2009; 149:189-202. [PMID: 19763437 DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-98094-2_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andre T Baron
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Department of Internal Medicine, Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, 408 Ben F. Roach Building, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0093, USA.
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8
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Perez-Torres M, Valle BL, Maihle NJ, Negron-Vega L, Nieves-Alicea R, Cora EM. Shedding of epidermal growth factor receptor is a regulated process that occurs with overexpression in malignant cells. Exp Cell Res 2008; 314:2907-18. [PMID: 18687326 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2008.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2005] [Revised: 07/02/2008] [Accepted: 07/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Soluble isoforms of the epidermal growth factor receptor (sEGFR) previously have been identified in the conditioned culture media (CCM) of the vulvar adenocarcinoma cell line, A431 and within exosomes of the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. Here, we report that the extracellular domain (ECD) of EGFR is shed from the cell surface of human carcinoma cell lines that express 7x10(5) receptors/cell or more. We purified this proteolytic isoform of EGFR (PI-sEGFR) from the CCM of MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells. The amino acid sequence of PI-sEGFR was determined by reverse-phase HPLC nano-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry of peptides generated by trypsin, chymotrypsin or GluC digestion. The PI-sEGFR protein is identical in amino acid sequence to the EGFR ECD. The release of PI-sEGFR from MDA-MB-468 cells is enhanced by phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum, pervanadate, and EGFR ligands (i.e., EGF and TGF-alpha). In addition, 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate, an activator of metalloproteases, increased PI-sEGFR levels in the CCM of MDA-MB-468 cells. Inhibitors of metalloproteases decreased the constitutive shedding of EGFR while the PMA-induced shedding was inhibited by metalloprotease inhibitors, by the two serine protease inhibitors leupeptin and 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin (DCI), and by the aspartyl inhibitor pepstatin. These results suggest that PI-sEGFR arises by proteolytic cleavage of EGFR via a mechanism that is regulated by both PKC- and phosphorylation-dependent pathways. Our results further suggest that when proteolytic shedding of EGFR does occur, it is correlated with a highly malignant phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianela Perez-Torres
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico-Medical Sciences Campus, PO Box 365067 San Juan, Puerto Rico
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9
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Lafky JM, Wilken JA, Baron AT, Maihle NJ. Clinical implications of the ErbB/epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor family and its ligands in ovarian cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2008; 1785:232-65. [PMID: 18291115 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2008.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2007] [Revised: 01/22/2008] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The ERBB or EGF receptor (EGFR) proto-oncogene family, which consists of four structurally-related transmembrane receptors (i.e., EGFR, ErbB2, ErbB3, and ErbB4), plays an etiological role in the molecular pathogenesis of cancer and is a key therapeutic target in many types of cancer, including ovarian cancer. These ErbB/EGF receptor tyrosine kinases play important physiologic roles in cell proliferation, survival, adhesion, motility, invasion, and angiogenesis. It is, therefore, not surprising that gene amplification, genetic mutation, and altered transcription/translation result in aberrant ErbB/EGF receptor expression and/or signal transduction, contributing to the development of malignant transformation. Clinically, the diagnostic, prognostic, and theragnostic significance of any single ErbB receptor and/or ErbB ligand is controversial, but generally, ErbB receptor overexpression has been correlated with poor prognosis and decreased therapeutic responsiveness in ovarian cancer patients. Thus, anticancer agents targeting ErbB/EGF receptors hold great promise for personalized cancer treatment. Yet, challenges remain in designing prospective clinical trials to assess the clinical utility of ErbB receptors and their ligands to diagnose cancer; to predict progression-free and overall survival, therapeutic responsiveness, and disease recurrence; and to monitor treatment responsiveness. Here, we review the tissue expression and serum biomarker studies that have evaluated the diagnostic, prognostic, and theragnostic utility of ErbB/EGF receptors, their circulating soluble isoforms (sEGFR/sErbBs), and their cognate ligands in ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Lafky
- Department of Experimental Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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10
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Chatterji B, Borlak J. Serum proteomics of lung adenocarcinomas induced by targeted overexpression of c-raf in alveolar epithelium identifies candidate biomarkers. Proteomics 2007; 7:3980-91. [PMID: 17902193 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.200700290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported a proteome map of lung adenocarcinomas in serine-threonine kinase of the Raf family (c-raf) transgenic mice. We now extend our initial studies to serum proteins at early stage (1 month) and advanced stages of tumorigenesis (12 months). Notably, serum proteins from wild-type and tumor bearing mice were extracted with a lysis buffer containing 5 mol/L urea, 2 mol/L thiourea, 40 mmol/L Tris, 4% CHAPS, 100 mmol/L DTT, 0.5% BioLyte 3-10, separated by 2-DE and studied by image analysis. On average 400 protein spots per gel were excised and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. We identified 45 common and 5 uniquely expressed proteins in wild-type and tumor bearing mice. Apart from uniquely identified proteins we observed for n = 9 proteins differential expression when wild-type and tumor bearing mice were compared. This included serpins and other protease inhibitors, lipocalins, transthyretins, globins, and Igs. Notably, we demonstrate significant regulation of alpha-1-antitrypsin, alpha-2-macroglobulin, hemoglobin subunit alpha, vitamin D-binding protein, major urinary proteins, and transthyretin (up to eight-fold) in serum of lung tumor bearing mice. Disease association of these proteins in human malignancies has been reported. Thus, an identification of regulated serum proteins in this lung cancer disease model provides excellent opportunities for the search of novel biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bijon Chatterji
- Department of Drug Research and Medical Biotechnology, Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
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11
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Lafky JM, Baron AT, Cora EM, Hillman DW, Suman VJ, Perez EA, Ingle JN, Maihle NJ. Serum Soluble Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Concentrations Decrease in Postmenopausal Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Treated with Letrozole. Cancer Res 2005; 65:3059-62. [PMID: 15833834 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-05-0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have implicated estrogen as a regulator of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in breast tumors. We therefore speculated that estrogen might modulate serologic soluble EGFR (sEGFR) concentrations in breast cancer patients. Accordingly, we measured serum sEGFR concentrations in postmenopausal women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) treated with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor that blocks estrogen synthesis. Serum specimens were obtained prior to and following 1 and 3 months of letrozole therapy. We report that sEGFR concentrations do not differ between MBC patients prior to letrozole treatment and age- and postmenopause-matched healthy women (P = 0.468). In contrast, however, sEGFR concentrations decreased significantly in 76% of MBC patients after both 1 month (P = 0.006) and 3 months (P = 0.003) of letrozole therapy versus pretreatment concentrations. Within the limitations of this study, we found no evidence for an association between pretreatment sEGFR concentrations or decreased treatment sEGFR concentrations and either progression-free or overall survival. Nonetheless, we conclude that future prospective studies are warranted to determine if baseline and/or longitudinal serum sEGFR concentrations may be useful for predicting disease progression and survival, and/or for monitoring responsiveness to aromatase inhibitors or other endocrine therapies in breast cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline M Lafky
- Tumor Biology Program, Cancer Center Statistics Unit, Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA
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Baron AT, Boardman CH, Lafky JM, Rademaker A, Liu D, Fishman DA, Podratz KC, Maihle NJ. Soluble Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (SEG-FR) and Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125) as Screening and Diagnostic Tests for Epithelial Ovarian Cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2005; 14:306-18. [PMID: 15734951 DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.epi-04-0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the leading cause of death among all gynecologic cancers in the United States. Because women who are diagnosed with early stage disease have a better prognosis than women diagnosed with late stage disease, early detection represents a potentially practical approach to reduce the mortality associated with EOC. Unfortunately, no single screening test has proven to be effective for this purpose, and a valid and feasible screening program to detect early stage EOC in the general population has not yet been devised. Consequently, research has focused on coupling two or more screening modalities to improve program validity and feasibility. Serum cancer antigen 125 (CA125) and a soluble isoform of the epidermal growth factor receptor (p110 sEGFR) have been studied individually as biomarkers of ovarian cancer. In this study, we compare serum CA125 levels and sEGFR concentrations in women with EOC to women with benign gynecologic conditions of ovarian and non-ovarian origin. We show that serum sEGFR concentrations are lower in patients with EOC than in women with benign gynecologic conditions, whereas serum CA125 levels are higher in patients to EOC compared with women with benign gynecologic conditions. These data also reveal that age and serum sEGFR concentrations modify the association between CA125 levels and EOC versus benign gynecologic disease. Hence, age- and sEGFR-dependent CA125 cutoff thresholds improve the ability of CA125 to discern EOC patients from women with benign ovarian tumors and non-ovarian gynecologic conditions. Our analyses show that parallel testing with fixed sEGFR and CA125 cutoff thresholds optimizes sensitivity to detect EOC, whereas serial testing with age- and sEGFR-dependent CA125 cutoff thresholds optimizes test specificity, and overall accuracy to discern patients with EOC from women with benign ovarian and non-ovarian gynecologic conditions. The combined use of serologic sEGFR and CA125, thus, has improved utility for screening and diagnosing EOC, which may increase the positive predictive value of a multimodal screening program that incorporates these biomarkers to detect and subsequently differentiate benign from malignant ovarian tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre T Baron
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Lucille P. Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, 408 Roach Building, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40536-0093, USA.
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13
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Reiter JL, Maihle NJ. Characterization and expression of novel 60-kDa and 110-kDa EGFR isoforms in human placenta. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2003; 995:39-47. [PMID: 12814937 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2003.tb03208.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and related family members (ERBB2, ERBB3, and ERBB4) previously have been shown to play pivotal roles in the development of female reproductive tissues, in blastocyst implantation, and in placental differentiation. We have cloned and sequenced several naturally occurring alternative transcripts of the human and mouse EGFR genes, which encode novel receptor isoforms containing varying portions of the extracellular ligand-binding domain, but lacking the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domain sequences. The human 1.8-kb and 3-kb alternative EGFR transcripts encode secreted 60-kDa and cell surface-associated 110-kDa EGFR isoforms, respectively. We have developed quantitative ribonuclease protection assays to study the expression of these alternative transcripts in human tissues. Similar to the full-length EGFR mRNAs, the highest expression level of these alternative transcripts occurs in placenta. We speculate that both of these EGFR isoforms may be important regulators of EGF-mediated cell growth and differentiation in human placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill L Reiter
- Tumor Biology Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
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14
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Christensen TA, Reiter JL, Baron AT, Maihle NJ. Generation and characterization of polyclonal antibodies specific for human p110 sEGFR. HYBRIDOMA AND HYBRIDOMICS 2002; 21:183-9. [PMID: 12165144 DOI: 10.1089/153685902760173908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The EGFR/ERBB family of receptor tyrosine kinases mediates intracellular signal transduction pathways important in the regulation of cell growth, differentiation, and transformation. We previously have reported the cloning and expression of a 3 kb alternative EGFR transcript which encodes a 110 kDa form of the receptor (p110 sEGFR). This receptor isoform is identical to the extracellular region of the full-length 170 kDa EGFR through amino acid 603; in addition, p110 sEGFR contains 78 unique carboxy-terminal amino acids. Here, we report the generation and characterization of polyclonal antisera specific for the unique carboxy-terminal sequence of p110 sEGFR. Polyclonal antisera were generated by immunizing rabbits with synthetic peptides corresponding to peptides contained within the unique carboxy-terminal sequence of p110 sEGFR. Immunoglobulin fractions from antisera which tested positive for immune reactivity to these peptides by ELISA were affinity-purified by protein G and peptide-based chromatography. This affinity-purified immunoglobulin fraction specifically recognizes p110 sEGFR by ELISA, immunoprecipitation, immunoblot analysis, and immunocytochemical methods. No cross-reactivity with full-length p170 EGFR is observed using any of these detection methods. These new polyclonal antibodies will be useful in determining the expression, localization, and function of p110 sEGFR, and importantly will allow us to distinguish between the expression of this receptor isoform and p170 EGFR.
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15
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Fishman DA, Bozorgi K. The scientific basis of early detection of epithelial ovarian cancer: the National Ovarian Cancer Early Detection Program (NOCEDP). Cancer Treat Res 2002; 107:3-28. [PMID: 11775458 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4757-3587-1_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David A Fishman
- Section of Gynecologic Oncology, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Maihle NJ, Baron AT, Barrette BA, Boardman CH, Christensen TA, Cora EM, Faupel-Badger JM, Greenwood T, Juneja SC, Lafky JM, Lee H, Reiter JL, Podratz KC. EGF/ErbB receptor family in ovarian cancer. Cancer Treat Res 2002; 107:247-58. [PMID: 11775453 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4757-3587-1_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023]
Abstract
In summary, the EGF/ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases has been shown to play a key role in normal ovarian follicle development, and cell growth regulation of the ovarian surface epithelium. Disregulation of these normal growth regulatory pathways, including overexpression and/or mutation of EGFR/ErbB receptor family members, as well as elements of their downstream signalling pathways, have been shown to contribute to the etiology and progression of epithelial ovarian cancer. It is, therefore, not surprising that these gene products, and their related soluble receptor isoforms may have clinical utility as tumor and/or serum biomarkers of disease activity. Moreover, since several of these soluble receptor isoforms have potent growth inhibitory activity, and are naturally occurring in the circulation, they are ideal candidates for the development of novel therapeutics for the treatment of ovarian cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Maihle
- Tumor Biology Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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Reiter JL, Threadgill DW, Eley GD, Strunk KE, Danielsen AJ, Sinclair CS, Pearsall RS, Green PJ, Yee D, Lampland AL, Balasubramaniam S, Crossley TD, Magnuson TR, James CD, Maihle NJ. Comparative genomic sequence analysis and isolation of human and mouse alternative EGFR transcripts encoding truncated receptor isoforms. Genomics 2001; 71:1-20. [PMID: 11161793 DOI: 10.1006/geno.2000.6341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This study presents the annotated genomic sequence and exon-intron organization of the human and mouse epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genes located on chromosomes 7p11.2 and 11, respectively. We report that the EGFR gene spans nearly 200 kb and that the full-length 170-kDa EGFR is encoded by 28 exons. In addition, we have identified two human and two mouse alternative EGFR transcripts of 2.4-3.0 kb using both computational and experimental methods. The human 3.0-kb and mouse 2.8-kb EGFR mRNAs are predominantly expressed in placenta and liver, respectively, and both transcripts encode 110-kDa truncated receptor isoforms containing only the extracellular ligand-binding domain. We also have demonstrated that the aberrant 2.8-kb EGFR transcript produced by the human A431 carcinoma cell line is generated by splicing to a recombinant 3'-terminal exon located in EGFR intron 16, which apparently was formed as a result of a chromosomal translocation. Finally, we have shown that the human, mouse, rat, and chicken 1.8- to 3.0-kb alternative EGFR transcripts are generated by distinct splicing mechanisms and that each of these mRNAs contains unique 3' sequences that are not evolutionarily conserved. The presence of truncated receptor isoforms in diverse species suggests that these proteins may have important functional roles in regulating EGFR activity.
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MESH Headings
- Alternative Splicing
- Amino Acid Sequence
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Chickens
- Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7
- Cloning, Molecular
- DNA, Complementary/metabolism
- ErbB Receptors/biosynthesis
- ErbB Receptors/chemistry
- ErbB Receptors/genetics
- Evolution, Molecular
- Exons
- Expressed Sequence Tags
- Gene Library
- Genome
- Humans
- Introns
- Ligands
- Liver/metabolism
- Mice
- Models, Genetic
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Placenta/metabolism
- Protein Isoforms
- Protein Structure, Tertiary
- RNA, Messenger/metabolism
- Rats
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Sequence Analysis, DNA
- Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
- Tissue Distribution
- Transfection
- Translocation, Genetic
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Reiter
- Tumor Biology Program, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA
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