Liver-type fatty acid-binding protein is highly expressed in intestinal metaplasia and in a subset of carcinomas of the stomach without association with the fatty acid synthase status in the carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relation of liver-type fatty-acid-binding protein (L-FABP) expression to the clinicopathological characteristics or the fatty acid synthase status of gastric cancers.


METHODS
L-FABP expression was examined immunohistochemically in 667 gastric cancers, 60 gastric adenomas, and non-neoplastic epithelium contiguous with cancer tissue including normal foveolae, intestinal metaplasia, regenerative epithelium, and gastric glands.


RESULTS
L-FABP was positive in 38% (high in 9% and low in 29%) of gastric cancers. It occurred preferentially in papillary carcinomas, female cases, and in patients under 50 years. In gastric cancers, L-FABP expression had no intimate correlation with the FAS status, and it showed no relationship with prognosis and cancer progression as indicated by venous and lymphatic permeation, and nodal or hepatic metastasis. Gastric tubular adenomas mainly revealed low (22%) expression of L-FABP while intestinal metaplasia showed the most frequent (>95%) and intense L-FABP expression. Normal foveolae and gastric glands showed no or less L-FABP expression.


CONCLUSIONS
L-FABP is highly and intensely expressed in metaplasia and in a subset of gastric adenocarcinomas, without association with progression, prognosis and fatty acid synthase status of the carcinoma.
Hashimoto
Takeaki
T
Department of Pathology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
Kusakabe
Takashi
T
Watanabe
Kazuo
K
Sugino
Takashi
T
Fukuda
Takeaki
T
Nashimoto
Atsushi
A
Honma
Kei-Ichi
K
Sato
Yukio
Y
Kimura
Hideki
H
Fujii
Hiroshi
H
Suzuki
Toshimitsu
T
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D000236:Adenoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000378:metabolism*; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C493319:FABP1 protein, human; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005227:Fatty Acids; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases