Increased serum level of epidermal growth factor receptor in liver cancer patients and its association with exposure to arsenic

详细信息	查看全文 | 推荐本文 |

• 作者：Tzu-I Sung^a ; ^b ; Ying-Jan Wang^a ; ^b ; Chi-Yi Chen^c ; Tsui-Lien Hung^d ; How-Ran Guo^a ; ^b ; ^e ; ^f ; ^{hrguo@mail.ncku.edu.tw}
• 关键词：EGFR ; epidermal growth factor receptor ; ERK ; extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase ; MCL ; Maximum Contaminant Level ; ELISA ; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay ; BFD ; blackfoot disease ; OR ; odds ratio ; HCC ; hepatocellular carcinoma ; MAPK ; mitogen-acti
• 刊名：Science of the Total Environment
• 出版年：2012
• 期刊代码：63_00489697
• 类别：env
• 出版时间：1 May, 2012
• 卷：424
• 期：Complete
• 页码：74-78
• 文件大小：168 K

摘要

Arsenic is a human carcinogen and can activate epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in human cell lines. As EGFR is associated with the occurrence of cancers, we conducted a study to evaluate whether serum EGFR may increase in liver cancer patients, particularly in those with exposure to arsenic. We recruited 100 patients of liver cancer and 100 age- and sex-matched controls in Taiwan and determined EGFR levels in sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The patients had higher EGFR levels (668.1 vs. 243.1 fmol/mL, p < 0.01), and after adjusting for hepatitis B and C, they still had an average EGFR level 406.1 fmol/mL higher than that of the controls (p < 0.01). When we compared 22 patients residing in an endemic area of arsenic intoxication to 22 age- and sex-matched patients residing outside the area, we found that patients from the endemic area had higher EGFR levels (882.8 vs. 511.6 fmol/mL, p = 0.04). We concluded that EGFR is over-expressed in patients of liver cancer, particularly in those with exposure to arsenic, and therefore, serum EGFR level is not only a potential biomarker of liver cancer, but also a potential biomarker of cancers associated with arsenic exposure.