[The prognostic significance of expression of c-met oncogene and its relation to gastric mucosal lesions].
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether there is a relationship between the expression of c-met oncogene and the stage of gastric mucosal lesions or the prognosis of gastric carcinomas.


METHODS
Expression of c-met was investigated in 169 gastric mucosal lesions by using immunohistochemistry. Survival analysis was studied with the Kaplan-Meier test.


RESULTS
For chronic superficial gastritis, chronic atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, early gastric carcinomas and advanced gastric carcinomas, the expression rates were 23.5%, 36.8%, 51.5%, 61.3%, 66.7% and 73.7% respectively. The positive rate was higher in intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia and gastric carcinomas than in chronic superficial gastritis (P < 0.05). Expression of c-met increased with the increasing proliferation of gastric mucosa in rank correlation test, which showed a close relationship (P < 0.01). Expression of c-met correlated significantly with histologic type, serosal invasion and lymph node metastases. In particular, the expression of c-met was significantly higher in Borrmann type IV gastric carcinomas (87.5%) than in early gastric carcinomas (66.7%) or Borrmann type I, II (68.7%, P < 0.01). The survival rate of patients with expression of c-met was significantly lower than that of patients without c-met expression.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of c-met is associated with proliferation and malignant transformation of gastric mucosa. These results suggest that expression of c-met might be a new prognostic factor in gastric carcinoma.
Zhuang
X
X
Department of Gastroenterology, Guangzhou Military General Hospital, Guangzhou 510010, China.
Zheng
J
J
Lin
S
S
Sun
G
G
Li
Y
Y
D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005756:Gastritis / Q000378:metabolism*; D005757:Gastritis, Atrophic / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000378:metabolism; D011379:Prognosis; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met