title: Expression of the intestine-specific transcription factors, Cdx1 and Cdx2, correlates shift to an intestinal phenotype in gastric cancer cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is well known that gastric cancers (GCs) at early stages, independent of the histological type, mainly consist of gastric phenotype malignant cells, while those at advanced stage tend to have a more intestinal phenotype with progression. However, the connection between this shift and expression of homeobox genes, which are important factors to maintain tissue character, has remained unclear. We therefore evaluated the expression of Cdx1/2 in relation to the phenotype of GCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the expression of Cdx1/2 mRNAs by Northern blotting and Cdx2 protein by immunohistochemistry in seventy advanced GCs, and evaluated phenotypically using mucin- and immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy GCs were divided phenotypically into 16 gastric (G type), 18 gastric and intestinal mixed (GI type), 18 intestinal (I type), and 18 null (N type) phenotypes, independent of the histological classification. Cdx1 and Cdx2 mRNAs statistically demonstrated an increase with shift from G to I ( P=0.042 and P=0.0082, respectively). Cdx2 nuclear staining was observed immunohistochemically in the intestinal phenotypic cancer cells, but could not be detected in those with only the gastric phenotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that Cdx1 and Cdx2 might be indispensable for intestinal phenotypic expression even in gastric cancer cells.
authors: Division of Oncological Pathology, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, 1-1 Kanokoden, Chikusa-ku, 464-8681 Nagoya, Japan.
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Mizoshita
authors: Ken-ichi
authors: K
authors: Inada
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Tsukamoto
authors: Koji
authors: K
authors: Nozaki
authors: Takashi
authors: T
authors: Joh
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Itoh
authors: Yoshitaka
authors: Y
authors: Yamamura
authors: Toshikazu
authors: T
authors: Ushijima
authors: Shigeo
authors: S
authors: Nakamura
authors: Masae
authors: M
authors: Tatematsu
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007422:Intestines; D010641:Phenotype; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000032:analysis*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C491273:CDX1 protein, human; D000071616:CDX2 Transcription Factor; C491270:CDX2 protein, human; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015534:Trans-Activators; D014157:Transcription Factors