奥地利因斯布鲁克癌症研究中心13日发表公报说，该中心科学家开展的实验显示，与其他癌症类型相比，现有抗体疗法更适用于乳腺癌、肾癌、肝癌和膀胱癌。
许多癌症都有一个共同特点，即癌细胞表面有一种名为“EpCAM”的蛋白。不久前，一种可攻击“EpCAM”蛋白的抗体被发现，目前一些医院正在对其展开临床试验。但什么样的患者适合接受这种抗体疗法，医学界还不清楚。
奥地利因斯布鲁克癌症研究中心的科学家运用免疫组织化学法，通过抗体染色来标注相关的蛋白，对2000多个癌组织样品展开分析。结果发现，与其他癌症类型相比，现有的抗体疗法更适用于乳腺癌、肾癌、肝癌和膀胱癌。
科学家表示，免疫组织化学法的优点是操作简单，费用不高。在对患者采取抗体疗法前，利用免疫组织化学法弄清楚患者癌细胞表面“EpCAM”蛋白的情况，将会使治疗更具针对性，并减轻其副作用给患者造成的痛苦。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推荐原文出处：
J Clin Pathol doi:10.1136/jcp.2011.090274
EpCAM expression in primary tumour tissues and metastases: an immunohistochemical analysis
Gilbert Spizzo1,2,3, Dominic Fong1,2, Martin Wurm1,2, Christian Ensinger4, Peter Obrist5, Carina Hofer4, Guido Mazzoleni6, Guenther Gastl1,2, Philip Went7
Abstract
Aims Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a cell surface protein with oncogenic features that is expressed on healthy human epithelia and corresponding malignant tumours. EpCAM expression frequently correlates with more aggressive tumour behaviour and new EpCAM-specific therapeutic agents have recently been approved for clinical use in patients with cancer. However, no consensus exists on how and when to evaluate EpCAM expression in patients with cancer.
Material and methods EpCAM expression was assessed by a well-established immunohistochemical staining protocol in 2291 primary tumour tissues and in 108 metastases using the EpCAM-specific antibody clone VU1D9. A total immunostaining score was calculated as the product of a proportion score and an intensity score. Four expression subgroups (no, weak, moderate and intense) were defined. As described previously, the term ‘EpCAM overexpression’ was reserved for tissues showing a total immunostaining score >4.
Results EpCAM was highly expressed in most tumours of gastrointestinal origin and in some carcinomas of the genitourinary tract. However, hepatocellular carcinomas, clear cell renal cell cancer, urothelial cancer and squamous cell cancers were frequently EpCAM negative. EpCAM expression in breast cancer depended on the histological subtype; lobular histology usually showed no or weak expression. Most metastases were EpCAM positive and they frequently reflected the expression phenotype of the primary tumour.
Conclusion EpCAM expression was detected on adenocarcinomas of various primary sites. If EpCAM-specific antibodies are intended to be used in patients with cancer, we recommend prior immunohistochemical evaluation of EpCAM expression, particularly in patients with renal cell cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, urothelial carcinoma, breast cancer and squamous cell carcinomas.
