The common 18-base pair deletion at codons 418-423 of the E-cadherin gene in differentiated-type adenocarcinomas and intramucosal precancerous lesions of the stomach with the features of gastric foveolar epithelium.
Alterations of the E (epithelial)-cadherin gene are often involved in undifferentiated-type carcinomas of the stomach, but not in the differentiated type. Recently, it was recognized that certain differentiated-type carcinomas possess the features of gastric foveolar epithelium. Such carcinomas are closely linked with undifferentiated-type carcinomas. Nineteen lesions (ten differentiated-type carcinomas and nine precancerous lesions) with a predominant gastric foveolar phenotype, as determined not only by mucin histochemistry and immunohistochemistry but also by morphology, were analysed for mutations of the E-cadherin gene using the nested polymerase chain reaction single-strand conformation polymorphism method. E-cadherin gene mutation was detected in 4 of 19 lesions (21 per cent) (three precancerous and one cancerous). Sequencing revealed an 18 bp deletion corresponding to codons 418-423 of exon 9 common to all four lesions. This mutation was previously reported in an advanced carcinoma of undifferentiated type. The results suggest that these tumours progress to undifferentiated-type carcinomas through loss of E-cadherin function.
Endoh
Y
Y
Department of Pathology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan. yendo@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Tamura
G
G
Watanabe
H
H
Ajioka
Y
Y
Motoyama
T
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003062:Codon; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology
D015820:Cadherins; D003062:Codon; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins