title: Desmoplastic response in scirrhous gastric carcinoma: imbalance between collagen synthesis and degradation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scirrhous gastric carcinoma is characterized by a marked deposition of collagen in the stroma and has a very poor prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  To elucidate the fibrotic mechanism in scirrhous gastric carcinoma, we measured the activities of the collagen synthetic enzyme, prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) and the collagen degrading enzymes, interstitial collagenase and type IV collagenase, in tissue from patients with advanced gastric carcinoma. Concentrations of P4H and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) in the sera of patients with gastric carcinoma were measured using sandwich enzyme immunoassay systems. We performed immunohistochemical analysis for TIMP-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Enzyme activities of P4H, interstitial collagenase and type IV collagenase in the tumor samples of scirrhous gastric carcinoma were significantly lower than those of non-scirrhous gastric carcinoma (p < 0.01). Serum concentration of TIMP-1 in patients with diffuse type carcinoma was significantly higher than in patients with intestinal type carcinoma and control subjects (p < 0.05). We demonstrated stromal expression of TIMP-1 in scirrhous gastric carcinoma tissue.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that decreased collagenase activity and increased expression of TIMP-1 would result in collagen deposition in scirrhous gastric carcinoma tissue.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery I, Fujita Health University, School of Medicine, 1-98 Dengakugakubo, Kutsukakecho, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan. hmatsui@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubochi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hasumi
mesh_terms: D002293:Adenocarcinoma, Scirrhous / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D017364:Collagenases / Q000378:metabolism*; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D019715:Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-1; D003094:Collagen; D011392:Proline; D011393:Procollagen-Proline Dioxygenase; D017364:Collagenases