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FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR 1 AND FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR 2 IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN GASTROINTESTINAL TUMOURS
Author(s) -
ELHARIRY IMAN,
PIGNATELLI MASSIMO,
LEMOINE NICHOLAS
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
the journal of pathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.964
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1096-9896
pISSN - 0022-3417
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9896(199701)181:1<39::aid-path711>3.0.co;2-c
Subject(s) - paracrine signalling , fibroblast growth factor , autocrine signalling , immunohistochemistry , cytoplasm , medicine , pathology , fibroblast , biology , cancer research , cell culture , receptor , biochemistry , genetics
Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factors (FGF‐1 and FGF‐2) are mitogenic polypeptides that may play a role in autocrine and paracrine growth control of malignant tumours. We have examined the expression of FGF‐1 and FGF‐2 in a series of 41 colorectal tumours (24 adenomas, 17 adenocarcinomas) and 50 gastric adenocarcinomas (23 intestinal, 27 diffuse), using immunohistochemistry. Whereas the FGF‐1 distribution was cytoplasmic, FGF‐2 was restricted to the nuclei of the epithelial cells. FGF‐1 immunoreactivity was detected in all samples (100 per cent), whereas FGF‐2 immunoreactivity was seen in 17 adenomas (71 per cent), 13 colorectal carcinomas (76 per cent), and 29 gastric carcinomas (58 per cent). Compared with the normal mucosa, FGF‐1 was overexpressed in 42 per cent of colorectal adenomas, 76 per cent of colorectal cancers, and 54 per cent of gastric cancers. Conversely, FGF‐2 expression was reduced in 16 (66 per cent), 8 (47 per cent), and 40 (80 per cent) adenomas and colorectal and gastric samples, respectively. We found a significant correlation only between reduced FGF‐2 and gastric tumour grade. These data indicate that FGF‐1 overexpression occurs in a large proportion of human colorectal and gastric cancers. This may play a role in the progression of these tumours. The topographic variation in FGF‐2 expression between normal (nuclear) and tumour (cytoplasmic) cells implies a corresponding functional change that may in turn facilitate tumour growth. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.