Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural localization of epidermal growth factor receptor in human liver and hepatocellular carcinoma tissues

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatoblastoma and non-cancerous liver tissues was investigated immunohistochemically in order to evaluate the possible role of EGF-R expression in neoplastic transformation of hepatocytes. Immunoreactive EGF-R molecules were identified on frozen sections by means of the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase complex technique using a monoclonal antibody recognizing an epitope of the external domain of human EGF-R. Linear positive staining was present on the surface of carcinoma cells in one hepatoblastoma and in 9 of 11 HCCs. In addition, an enhanced level of surface EGF-R expression was observed on the tumor cells in 9 of 12 cases in comparison with that on hepatocytes in surrounding non-cancerous liver tissue, which in most cases showed chronic inflammation, hepatocyte injury or regeneration. No positive staining in the form of coalescent cytoplasmic granules was present in HCC or hepatoblastoma cells, nor in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes in normal or non-cancerous diseased liver tissue. Little or no reactivity was present on the surface membrane of hepatocytes in the normal liver tissues of 8 control cases. Furthermore, immunoelectron microscopy revealed the localization of this immunoreactive EGF-R molecule on the plasma membrane. Considering that the functional form of EGF-R could be localized on the plasma membrane, the enhanced expression of immunoreactive EGF-R on the tumor cell surface demonstrated here may suggest a possible role of EGF-R in the development or progression of human HCC as well as in hepatocyte regeneration.