Background. E‐cadherin plays a crucial role in cell‐cell adhesion in epithelial tissues. Recent studies have shown a correlation between decreased E‐cadherin expression and cancer cell detachment.
Methods. The expression of E‐cadherin was immunohistochemically analyzed using antihuman E‐cadherin antibody in 121 cases of human gastric carcinoma.
Results. In noncancerous areas, the epithelial cells, including those with intestinal metaplasia, were stained positively in the plasma membrane. In contrast, E‐cadherin expression of the cancer cells varied from case to case in primary and secondary sites. Tumors with a decrease in E‐cadherin occurred significantly more frequently in undifferentiated adenocarcinoma (P < 0.05) and scirrhous type (P < 0.01). The rate of E‐cadherin‐negative tumors was higher in patients with peritoneal metastasis (P < 0.01) or in those with distant lymph node metastasis (P < 0.01), though the tumors with liver metastasis had relatively positive E‐cadherin expression. Patterns of initial recurrence had similar results. Reduction or loss of E‐cadherin expression correlated with shorter survival in patients after curative operation regardless of stage of disease.
Conclusions. The decreased E‐cadherin expression correlates with dedifferentiation, infiltrative tumor growth, distant metastasis, and poor survival for patients with gastric carcinoma. Thus, immunohistochemical study of E‐cadherin may have clinicopathologic value for patients with gastric carcinoma. Cancer 1995; 76:2193–201.
Background. Several studies have revealed a correlation between sialosyl Tn antigen (STN) and certain clin‐icopathologic features of various cancers, and that STN is an independent prognostic factor. However, the clinical significance of the expression of STN in gastric cancer has not been reported. Thus, the purpose of this study was to evaluate immunohistochemically the clinical significance of expression of STN in gastric cancer.
Methods. The expression of STN in surgically resected specimens of human gastric cancer was evaluated immunohistochemically using a monoclonal antibody (TKH‐2), in 60 patients whose serum STN levels were measured and in 54 patients with advanced cancer who had been followed for more than 5 years after gastrectomy. The correlations between the level of STN expression and clinicopathologic factors were analyzed. The staining intensity was graded as follows: (‐), less than 5% of the cancer cells expressed STN; (+), 5‐50%; (++), more than 50%.
Results. Sialosyl TN antigen staining was detected mainly on the cell membrane, in the cytoplasm, and in the luminal contents, and 57.2% of the 60 specimens expressed STN, whereas the corresponding value for positive serum levels was 15%. A higher percentage of advanced tumors expressed STN than did the early cases, but the difference was not statistically significant. All cases with strong staining, the (++) cases, were advanced cases either with lymph node metastases or with cancer invading in or beyond the muscle layer proper. The expression of STN appeared to be related to the clinical stage, the extent of cancer invasion, and the presence of lymph node metastases. Sialosyl TN antigen was detected in the serum in less than 6% of the patients whose tumors were (‐) or (+) for STN expression, and in 86.7% of the patients whose tumors expressed high levels of STN (++). The estimated 5‐year survival in advanced cases (Stage III) was significantly better in those with negative STN expression than in those with positive STN expression (P < 0.01).
Conclusions. These results suggest that STN may be a useful marker associated with the prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer. Cancer 1995; 76:1529–36.
The expression of the sialyl Lewis x antigen (sLe(x)) on surgical specimens of primary gastric cancer correlates with the degree of differentiation and synchronous and metachronous liver metastasis. Multivariate analysis by means of Quantification theory II revealed that sLe(x) expression was an independent risk factor for liver metastasis from gastric cancer.
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