| Abstract |
Studies on squamous breast and bladder tumours have shown a definite
relationship between EGF receptor number and stage and grade of the tumour.
The role of EGF and its receptors in squamous oesophageal tumorigenesis
is unknown, but the over-expression of both high- and low-affinity
receptors has been implicated in this type of neoplasia. In order to
determine whether both classes of receptor are present, 125I-EGF binding
studies, using the computer-based LIGAND program, were performed on one
well-established and three newly established oesophageal squamous cell
carcinoma (SCC) cell lines of South African origin. All four carcinoma
lines expressed a single class of low-affinity receptor. Normal
oesophageal keratinocytes also expressed a single class of receptor but
with a slightly higher affinity. All of the carcinoma lines expressed four
to twenty times more receptors per cell than the normal keratinocytes.
Viewed in the light of other workers' results, our data suggest that over-
expression of receptors by oesophageal SCCs may be a commonality, but it
is too early to make generalizations regarding EGF dissociation constants,
receptor number and oesophageal neoplasia.
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