title: Expression of integrin alpha 3 in gastric and colorectal cancers: its relation to wall contraction and mode of invasion.
abstract: We macroscopically classified 25 gastric and 23 colorectal advanced cancers into "contracted" and "uncontracted" types, and found immunohistochemically that integrin subunit alpha 3 was more frequently expressed in the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the former than in the latter (75%:9/12 vs. 38%: 5/13 in gastric and 86%:6/7 vs. 25%:4/16 in colorectal cancers, respectively). Integrin subunit alpha 3 was also expressed more frequently in cancers producing transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), which is related to ECM deposition, integrin expression and cell mobility, than in those which did not produce TGF-beta (67%:10/15 vs. 40%:4/10 in gastric and 57%:4/7 vs. 38%:6/16 in colorectal cancers, respectively). In addition, integrin subunit alpha 3 was not expressed in 2 benign gastric ulcers combined with gastric cancer elsewhere in the stomach. On the other hand, a retrospective analysis of 107 cases of rectal cancer which recurred after a curative operation revealed that local recurrence was more frequent in "contracted" than "uncontracted" types (44%:11/25 vs. 26%:21/82). These results may suggest that the abundant interstitial fibrosis which leads to remarkable gastric or colorectal wall contraction is a result of the interaction between cancer cells and ECM, along with the expression of integrin and/or the production of TGF-beta. This fibrosis may also be closely related to the mode of gastric and colorectal cancer invasion.
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D039422:Integrin alpha3; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D039422:Integrin alpha3; D016023:Integrins; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta