Immunohistochemical study of ras oncogene expression in endometrial and cervical human lesions.

The Y13 259 monoclonal antibody to the ras p21 protein was used in an immunohistochemical assay to study the levels of ras p21 in human uterine lesions as compared to normal tissue. Out of 73 hysterectomies obtained we have examined ras p21 expression in separately made sections from the endometrium, the cervix and leiomyomas found in the same specimens. A total of 155 tissue sections were finally evaluated and included: 55 endometrial mucosae (normal, hyperplastic and atrophic), 13 leiomyomas, 60 cervicitis (mild, moderate and severe with or without dysplasia), 3 in situ and 7 invasive carcinoma of the cervix, 12 invasive adenocarcinoma of the endometrium and 5 endometrial adenocarcinomas, which involved the cervical canal. Out of the 73 hysterectomy specimens 27 lesions were malignant and showed elevated expression of ras p21. The remaining 128 were normal or atrophic mucosae and benign or premalignant lesions, which were mostly negative. However, all cases of severe cervicitis and dysplasias and 6 out of the 12 hyperplastic endometrial lesions were found to be moderately or highly positive. Our results suggest that elevated expression of ras oncogenes may play an important role in the development of human uterine lesions.

Comparative study of Harvey-ras oncogene expression with conventional clinicopathologic parameters of breast cancer.

We have previously examined the expression of the Harvey-ras (Ha-ras) oncogene related transcripts in human malignant breast tumors and in their respective normal tissue [Spandidos and Agnantis, Anticancer Res. 4: 269-272, 1984]. Our results revealed a significant elevation of Ha-ras transcripts in malignant compared to normal tissue. In the present follow-up study we have examined the relationship of Ha-ras oncogene expression to the various clinicopathological parameters of these tumors. Although elevated expression was observed in all breast tumors as compared to their respective normal breast tissue there was no correlation with the tumor stage as defined by the TNM system. However, several correlations between Ha-ras oncogene expression and histologic parameters were found and comparisons of the mean value of Ha-ras oncogene expression with the parameters examined showed the following: the stellate tumor margin and the larger tumor size had the lowest mean value; the infiltrating duct histologic type had the highest mean value; the mean value was lower in the presence of lymphocytic infiltration in the tumor; a higher mean value was obtained in cases with lymph node metastases.