Ets1 as a marker of malignant potential in gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Ets1 proto-oncogene is a transcription factor involved in the activation of several genes of tumor invasion and metastasis. We aimed to determine the relationship between the extent and intensity of Ets1 expression and patients' clinicopathological factors in gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical analysis was performed for gastric tumor paraffin-embedded sections, followed by image analysis.


RESULTS
Ets1 was not expressed in the normal gastric epithelium and its surrounding cells. The percentage of Ets1 expressing cells detected increased significantly in both epithelial tumor and stromal cells from high T classification, lymph node metastasis positive, clinical advanced-stage groups (P<0.001). The level of Ets1 staining in epithelial tumor cells also reflected the degree of cell differentiation. The percentage of epithelial and stromal cells expressing Ets1 was significantly correlated with the presence of lymph node metastasis (P=0.014 and P<0.001 respectively). Ets1 expression was not observed in tissue samples from patients with benign gastric ulcers.


CONCLUSIONS
Ets1 protein expression in epithelial tumor cells reflects the degree of differentiation, and the percentage of Ets1 positive tumor and stromal cells correlates with lymph node metastasis. Thus Ets1 is a valuable marker of malignant potential in terms of invasiveness and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. It is also possible that inhibition of Ets1 is a potential avenue for therapy in gastric cancer.
Yu
Yong
Y
Department of General Surgery, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Second Medical University, China.
Zhang
Yi-Chu
YC
Zhang
Wen-Zhu
WZ
Shen
Li-Song
LS
Hertzog
Paul
P
Wilson
Trevor J
TJ
Xu
Da-Kang
DK
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000556:secondary; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C494041:ETS1 protein, human; C000715470:MAS1 protein, human; D000090063:Proto-Oncogene Mas; D050784:Proto-Oncogene Protein c-ets-1; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D050783:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-ets; D014157:Transcription Factors