摘要目的　了解表皮生长因子受体家族［表皮生长因子受体(epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR)、ErbB2及 ErbB3］在翼状胬肉上皮内的表达.方法　用免疫荧光组织化学及Western blot方法对15例初发性翼状胬肉患者切除的翼状胬肉组织中EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3蛋白进行检测,并与正常人结膜组织进行对照.结果　免疫荧光组织化学染色显示,在正常结膜上皮中,EGFR在其基底层细胞表达,而ErbB2及ErbB3则在其表层细胞表达.15例翼状胬肉上皮的11例EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3表达方式与正常结膜明显不同,EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3均在翼状胬肉上皮的全层表达,4例表达方式与正常结膜相似.Western blot检测进一步证实11例翼状胬肉上皮EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3表达较正常结膜高.结论　翼状胬肉组织上皮EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3表达增加,提示翼状胬肉可能是一组织增生性疾病,翳状胬肉上皮EGFR、ErbB2及ErbB3的异常表达及其与其上皮下组织相互作用可能是翼状胬肉发病的重要原因之一.

abstractsObjective To evaluate the expression of the type Ⅰ growth factor receptor family [epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ErbB2 and ErbB3] by the epithelial cells in pterygium. Methods Immunoflurescent staining and Western blotting were performed to detect the expression pattern and quantity of EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB3 proteins in the epithelia of 15 patients with primary pterygium and 12 subjects with normal conjunctiva. Results In immunofluorescent staining, the EGFR protein was present in the basal cells while the ErbB2 and ErbB3 were expressed by the superficial cells in normal conjunctival epithelium. Of the pterygium cases 15, 11 were stained by EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB3 in the full thickness of the epithelium and showed stronger staining compared with the control group. Four of them showed a similar staining pattern to the normal conjunctiva group. The density of protein bands detected by Western blotting for all three growth factor receptors was consistent with the immunofluorescent staining. Compared with normal conjunctiva, stronger protein bands of these three receptors were found in all of the pterygium specimens, in which EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB3 were expressed in the full thickness, as shown by immunofluorescent staining. Conclusions The increased expression of EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB3 proteins was present in pterygium, which indicated that pterygium is a disorder with abnormal proliferation. The abnormal expression of EGFR, ErbB2 and ErbB3 by the epithelium and the communication with cytokines in the stroma in pterygium may be a key pathogenic factor in this disorder.