Sole expression of laminin gamma 2 chain in invading tumor cells and its association with stromal fibrosis in lung adenocarcinomas.
Laminin-5 (LN-5), an important basement membrane (BM) protein consisting of laminin alpha3, beta3 and gamma 2 chains, has been suggested to be involved in tumor cell invasion and tissue repair. In this study, the distribution of the LN-5 subunits in atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) and different types of adenocarcinomas of the lung was examined by immunohistochemical analysis. In AAH and non-sclerosing, well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, the LN gamma 2 chain was frequently detected along with the continuous BMs. These BMs were also positive for both LN alpha3 and beta3 chains, suggesting that LN-5 had been deposited. In contrast, the cytoplasmic staining for the LN gamma 2 chain was frequently observed in tumor cells of sclerosing, well-differentiated adenocarcinomas, as well as of moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas, without any evidence of co-expression of the LN alpha3 and beta3 chains. This staining pattern of the LN gamma 2 chain was prominent in carcinoma cells invading into interstitial stroma and was associated with the formation of a central scar in the tumor tissues. These results suggest that the LN gamma 2 chain monomer could be an important indicator of progression of lung adenocarcinoma.
Division of Cell Biology, Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama 244-0813, Japan.
Y
Y
Kagesato
H
H
Mizushima
N
N
Koshikawa
H
H
Kitamura
H
H
Hayashi
N
N
Ogawa
M
M
Tsukuda
K
K
Miyazaki
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D021122:Protein Subunits; D000097794:Kalinin
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D021122:Protein Subunits; D000097794:Kalinin