title: Clinical significance of AXL kinase family in gastric cancer.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery, Taipei-Veterans General Hospital and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chew-Wun
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Anna F Y
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chin-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Chun-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Chen Lung
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Su-Shun
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Wing-Yiu
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: Wen-Chang
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: 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