Objective: To detect and analysis epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) in different malignancy brain tumors, and to evaluate their prognostic significance.
Methods: Using immunohistochemistry to detect the expression of EGFR and PTEN and adopting confocal technology to verify their location in the specimens of 25 respectively glioblastoma multiformes, medulloblastomas, anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, and anaplastic ependymomas.
Results: 76% of glioblastoma multiformes had amplification of EGFR, and 40% of which lost PTEN. Patients with these phenomena had a poor survival prognosis, 7 months VS 18 months. However amplification of EGFR and deletion of PTEN were relatively low in other malignancy brain tumors. They were 36% and 8% in medulloblastomas, and 28% and 8% in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas, and 24% and 4% in anaplastic ependymomas.
Conclusions: PTEN mutation and EGFR amplification are important prognostic factors in patients with glioblastoma multiformes. PTEN mutation and EGFR overexpression are rare in medulloblastoma, anaplastic oligodendroglioma, and anaplastic ependymoma, so the EGFR or PTEN targeted antitumor approaches may be useful in glioblastoma multiformes but the other 3 tumors.