EXPRESSION OF THE NEU GENE-ENCODED PROTEIN (P185NEU) IN HUMAN NON-SMALL CELL CARCINOMAS OF THE LUNG

  • 15 January 1990
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (2) , 421-425
Abstract
The neu protooncogene is a recently described tranforming gene originally isolated from ethylnitrosourea-induced rat neuroblastomas. We have examined the expression of the neu gene in human non-small cells lung carcinomas using immunoprecipitation and immnohistochemistery. The neu protein product (p185nen) was present in eight of 22 non-small cell carcinoma cell lines derived from human lung tumors. Expression of p185neu was found in all histological subtypes of non-small cell carcinomas including large cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and adenocarcinomas. Extension of these data to biopsy specimens of human lung tumors demonstrated that normal ciliated bronchial epithelium of the peripheral airways expressed p185neu at low levels. Neoplastic cells in four of 12 adenocarcinomas and three of five squamous cell carcinomas also expressed p185nen at levels higher than the normal ciliated bronchial epithelium. Together these studies indicate that p185neu expression is a common feature of human lung tumors.

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