Expression of ErbB-1 and ErbB-2 in meningioma.

Meningiomas are benign intracranial tumours treated by neurosurgical resection. Residual or recurrent tumour may be treated with radiotherapy. Effective molecular therapy for residual and recurrent meningiomas is currently unavailable. We tested meningiomas for In-ErbB-1 and ErbB-2, and the levels were compared to normal brain, peripheral nerve, glioblastoma multiforme and vestibular schwannoma. Our findings with immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis indicate a level of ErbB-1 similar to normal peripheral nerve, but a high expression of ErbB-2 similar to the vestibular schwannoma and glioblastoma multiforme. These preliminary results implicate a potential role for ErbB-2 in the benign tumourigenesis of meningioma consistent with the theoretical hierarchical interactions of homodimers of ErbB-2 that may be associated with low signal transduction.