Thymidine phosphorylase expression in gastric carcinoma as a marker for metastasis.
BACKGROUND
Thymidine phosphorylase (dThdPase) is identical to platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECCF) and has a function of angiogenesis in vitro and in several types of human carcinoma tissues. We have reported that expression of dThdPase was an independent prognostic factor in 116 gastric carcinomas by immunohistochemical analysis.


METHODS
In the present study, we updated the analysis of recurrence in 116 patients with gastric carcinomas to find how dThdPase plays an important role in progression of gastric carcinoma.


RESULTS
Expression of dThdPase was significantly involved in the progression and metastasis of gastric carcinoma. Further, the proportion of recurrence of the patients with dThdPase-positive gastric carcinoma (23 out of 50, 46.0%) was significantly higher than that with -negative gastric carcinoma (5 out of 66, 7.6%) (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the proportion of hematogenous metastasis (liver, lung) of the patients with dThdPase-positive gastric carcinoma (8 out of 8, 100%) was significantly higher than that with -negative gastric carcinoma (0 out of 8, 0%)) (p < 0.05). The proportion of peritoneal metastasis of the patients with dThdPase-positive gastric carcinoma (10/13, 76.9%) was also significantly higher than that with -negative gastric carcinoma (3 out of 13, 23.1%)) (p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggested that dThdPase promotes hematogenous and peritoneal metastases in gastric carcinoma. Inhibition of dThdPase may suppress hematogenous and peritoneal metastases in gastric carcinoma and improve prognosis of patients with gastric carcinoma.
Department of Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University Daini Hospital, 2-1-10 Nishiogu Arakawa-ku, Tokyo 116-8567, Japan. konnosu@dnh.twmu.ac.jp
Soichi
S
Konno
Yuji
Y
Takebayashi
Masashi
M
Higashimoto
Takao
T
Katsube
Atsuko
A
Kanzaki
Masanori
M
Kawahara
Seiichi
S
Takenoshita
Motohiko
M
Aiba
Kenji
K
Ogawa
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000098:blood supply / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000556:secondary; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D013939:Thymidine Phosphorylase