Clinical significance of AXL kinase family in gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
We have used degenerated PCR primers designed according to the consensus kinase motifs in order to amplify expressed protein tyrosine kinase molecules from human gastric cancers. From such kinase expression profiles, we have identified more than fifty different tyrosine and serine/threonine kinases from two matched pairs of gastric cancer tissue and normal mucosa. In previous studies, we have shown the clinical significance of two tyrosine kinases identified in gastric cancer, tie-1 and mkk4.


METHODS
In this report, we further investigate the protein expression of the whole axl receptor tyrosine-kinase family (axl/ufo, nyk/mer and sky/rse) by immunohistochemistry and their clinicopathological associations.


RESULTS
On examination of 96 patients specimens, expression of the axl kinase family alone showed no statistical significance with respect to the patients' survivaL However, the combination of nyk/mer expression with axl/ufo expression correlated inversely with the patients' prognosis result.


CONCLUSIONS
This finding indicates that a co-operative relationship exists between axllufo and nyk/mer protein kinases and this seems to play an important role in gastric cancer progression and metastasis.
Wu
Chew-Wun
CW
Departments of Surgery, Taipei-Veterans General Hospital and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.
Li
Anna F Y
AF
Chi
Chin-Wen
CW
Lai
Chun-Hung
CH
Huang
Chen Lung
CL
Lo
Su-Shun
SS
Lui
Wing-Yiu
WY
Lin
Wen-Chang
WC
D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015513:Oncogene Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
D000906:Antibodies; D015513:Oncogene Proteins; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D000094963:Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase; C000722289:AXL protein, human