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Expression of HER3, HER4 and their ligand heregulin-4 is associated with better survival in bladder cancer patients

Memon, A A LU orcid ; Sorensen, B S ; Melgard, P ; Fokdal, L ; Thykjaer, T and Nexo, E (2004) In British Journal of Cancer 91(12). p.41-2034
Abstract

The epidermal growth factor system has been associated to prognosis in patients with bladder cancer based mainly on the expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor 1 (EGFR) and HER2 and their activating ligands. Since limited information exists concerning the expression of other parts of the EGF system, we examined the expression of the receptors HER3 and HER4 and their activating ligands, the heregulins (HRGs), in bladder cancer patients. Biopsies from bladder cancer tumours were obtained from 88 patients followed for a median of 23 months (range, 1-97 months). The mRNA content of four ligands and their isoforms (HRG1alpha, HRG1beta, HRG2alpha, HRG2beta, HRG3 and HRG4) and two receptors (HER3 and HER4) was quantified by... (More)

The epidermal growth factor system has been associated to prognosis in patients with bladder cancer based mainly on the expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor 1 (EGFR) and HER2 and their activating ligands. Since limited information exists concerning the expression of other parts of the EGF system, we examined the expression of the receptors HER3 and HER4 and their activating ligands, the heregulins (HRGs), in bladder cancer patients. Biopsies from bladder cancer tumours were obtained from 88 patients followed for a median of 23 months (range, 1-97 months). The mRNA content of four ligands and their isoforms (HRG1alpha, HRG1beta, HRG2alpha, HRG2beta, HRG3 and HRG4) and two receptors (HER3 and HER4) was quantified by real-time PCR. A significantly lower mRNA expression level of HER3 (P=0.0003), HRG2alpha (P=0.0159), HRG2beta (P=0.0007) and HRG4 (P<0.0001) was observed in muscle-invasive (T2-T4) tumours as compared to superficial (Ta) tumours. The expression of HER3 mRNA correlated strongly to overall survival (P=0.0042); increased expression of HER4 (P=0.0261) and HRG4 (P=0.0245) was also associated with better prognosis. Interestingly, patients with coexpression of HER3 (P=0.0034) or HER4 (P=0.0080) together with their stimulating ligand HRG4 showed even better survival than for HER3 or HER4 alone. Our results together with previous data suggest a dual face for the EGF system. While it is well established that an increased signalling through HER1 and HER2 is related to a poor prognosis, our data suggest that signalling through HER3 and HER4 is related to a favourable outcome in bladder cancer patients.

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author
; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis, Cell Line, Tumor, ErbB Receptors/biosynthesis, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Staging, Neuregulin-1/biosynthesis, Prognosis, RNA, Messenger/analysis, Receptor, ErbB-3/biosynthesis, Receptor, ErbB-4, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, Survival Analysis, Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/metabolism
in
British Journal of Cancer
volume
91
issue
12
pages
41 - 2034
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:15583696
  • scopus:12344288416
ISSN
0007-0920
DOI
10.1038/sj.bjc.6602251
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
092c3266-bf28-4f8f-9209-60da818c5a79
date added to LUP
2019-11-22 16:20:01
date last changed
2024-05-29 04:17:24
@article{092c3266-bf28-4f8f-9209-60da818c5a79,
  abstract     = {{<p>The epidermal growth factor system has been associated to prognosis in patients with bladder cancer based mainly on the expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor 1 (EGFR) and HER2 and their activating ligands. Since limited information exists concerning the expression of other parts of the EGF system, we examined the expression of the receptors HER3 and HER4 and their activating ligands, the heregulins (HRGs), in bladder cancer patients. Biopsies from bladder cancer tumours were obtained from 88 patients followed for a median of 23 months (range, 1-97 months). The mRNA content of four ligands and their isoforms (HRG1alpha, HRG1beta, HRG2alpha, HRG2beta, HRG3 and HRG4) and two receptors (HER3 and HER4) was quantified by real-time PCR. A significantly lower mRNA expression level of HER3 (P=0.0003), HRG2alpha (P=0.0159), HRG2beta (P=0.0007) and HRG4 (P&lt;0.0001) was observed in muscle-invasive (T2-T4) tumours as compared to superficial (Ta) tumours. The expression of HER3 mRNA correlated strongly to overall survival (P=0.0042); increased expression of HER4 (P=0.0261) and HRG4 (P=0.0245) was also associated with better prognosis. Interestingly, patients with coexpression of HER3 (P=0.0034) or HER4 (P=0.0080) together with their stimulating ligand HRG4 showed even better survival than for HER3 or HER4 alone. Our results together with previous data suggest a dual face for the EGF system. While it is well established that an increased signalling through HER1 and HER2 is related to a poor prognosis, our data suggest that signalling through HER3 and HER4 is related to a favourable outcome in bladder cancer patients.</p>}},
  author       = {{Memon, A A and Sorensen, B S and Melgard, P and Fokdal, L and Thykjaer, T and Nexo, E}},
  issn         = {{0007-0920}},
  keywords     = {{Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis; Cell Line, Tumor; ErbB Receptors/biosynthesis; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neuregulin-1/biosynthesis; Prognosis; RNA, Messenger/analysis; Receptor, ErbB-3/biosynthesis; Receptor, ErbB-4; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Survival Analysis; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/metabolism}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{12}},
  pages        = {{41--2034}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{British Journal of Cancer}},
  title        = {{Expression of HER3, HER4 and their ligand heregulin-4 is associated with better survival in bladder cancer patients}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjc.6602251}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/sj.bjc.6602251}},
  volume       = {{91}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}