[Immunohistochemical detections of EGFR status in NSCLC]

Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi. 2015 Apr;18(4):212-8. doi: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2015.04.01.
[Article in Chinese]

Abstract

Background: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) respond well to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is a simple and widely used technique in clinical pathology laboratories. IHC also features cost effectiveness and rapid detection of EGFR mutations compared with molecular methods. This study aims to determine the accuracy of IHC for EGFR mutation detection in NSCLC.

Methods: Specimens (obtained from surgery or biopsy) from 97 NSCLC cases were stained through IHC with mutation-specific antibodies. The clinicopathological features of patients with positive immunostaining results were analyzed. Positive specimens were subjected to liquid chip technology to detect the actual EGFR status. Forty NSCLC specimens obtained from surgery and confirmed to have EGFR mutations through liquid chip technology were collected. These specimens were then subjected to IHC analyses with mutation-specific antibodies. The sensitivity of IHC in detecting EGFR mutations was calculated.

Results: Seventeen of the 97 NSCLC specimens were stained positive, and positive results were mostly observed in females, patients with adenocarcinoma, and non-smokers. About 76.9% of specimens with positive IHC results harbored mutations. The sensitivity of IHC was 40% among the 40 cases identified as containing EGFR mutations through liquid chip technology.

Conclusions: The strong positive immunostaining result is accurate, but the sensitivity of the method may not be optimal and significantly varies in different studies. The widespread application of IHC in clinics must be further investigated.

背景与目的 存在表皮生长因子受体(epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR)突变的非小细胞肺癌(non-small cell lung cancer, NSCLC)患者对EGFR酪氨酸激酶抑制剂(tyrosine kinase inhibitor, TKI)治疗有良好反应。与检测EGFR突变的分子水平手段相比,免疫组织化学法(immunohistochemistry, IHC)价格低廉,操作简便、迅速,易开展。本研究旨在探索免疫组化法检测EGFR突变的准确性。方法 选取97例NSCLC患者的手术或组织活检标本行EGFR特异性抗体的免疫组化染色,分析染色阳性标本的临床病理特征,并继续接受液相芯片检测验证是否存在突变;新收集40例被证实为EGFR突变的手术标本接受免疫组化染色,计算免疫组化法检出突变灵敏度。结果 97例NSCLC标本,17例染色阳性,染色阳性标本好发于女性、腺癌、不吸烟患者中,其染色阳性标本中,76.9%实际存在突变。40例EGFR突变标本中,免疫组化法检出突变的灵敏度为40%。结论 免疫组化法染色评分为强阳性的标本结果准确,但该方法灵敏度不甚理想,不同研究者所得结果差异较大,临床推广是否可行仍有待进一步探讨。.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / pathology
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry / methods*
  • Lung Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Lung Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Lung Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mutation

Substances

  • ErbB Receptors