Expression of c‐erbB‐2 protein, neuron‐specific enolase and DNA flow cytometry in locally advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder

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Abstract
Expression of c‐erbB‐2 protein, neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) and DNA ploidy was studied by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry in formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded specimens from 104 patients with locally advanced transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Positive membrane bound c‐erbB‐2 staining was found in 15% of the tumours, and 38% of the tumours were positive for NSE. Only one tumour stained positively for both NSE and c‐erbB‐2. Expression of c‐erbB‐2 protein and NSE was neither correlated to tumour stage nor to histopathological grade. The frequency of non‐diploid tumours was 78% in 49 c‐erbB‐2/NSE negative tumours, 98% in 40 NSE positive tumours, and 100% in 16 c‐erbB‐2 positive tumours (P=0.004). Whether the c‐erbB‐2 expression is a useful prognostic marker in addition to other conventional parameters, remains to be shown.