title: Expression of PTEN and Caspase-3 and their clinicopathological significance in primary gastric malignant lymphoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of PTEN and Caspase-3 in malignant lymphoma of the stomach and explore their role in progression of primary gastric malignant lymphoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues from 56 cases of primary gastric malignant lymphoma and their adjacent non-tumor mucosa were evaluated for PTEN and Caspase-3 protein expression by streptavidin-biotin-complex (SABC) immunohistochemistry. Their expression was compared with clinical tumor parameters with the relationship between PTEN and Caspase-3 expression concerned as well.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rate of PTEN expression in primary gastric lymphomas (50.0%, 28/56) was significantly lower than that in adjacent non-tumor gastric mucosa (96.4%, 27/28) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, 43 of 56 (76.8%) gastric lymphomas indicated Caspase-3 expression, less than that in adjacent non-tumor mucosa (93.5%, 29/31) (P < 0.05). The expression of PTEN was negatively correlated with invasion and lymph node metastasis of gastric lymphoma (P < 0.05), while the Caspase-3 expression was negatively associated with the latter one (P < 0.05). Additionally, the PTEN expression was positively correlated with Caspase-3 expression in the primary gastric malignant lymphoma (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The down-regulated expression of PTEN and Caspase-3 played an important role in progression of primary malignant gastric lymphoma. PTEN, as a molecular marker of pathobiological behaviors of tumor, contributes to tumor progression by increasing cell mobility and angiogenesis, as well as decreasing cell adhesion and apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: The Fourth Laboratory, Cancer Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110001.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Huachuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xuefei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Dongying
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Sumin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lige
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000201:enzymology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D025521:Tumor Suppressor Proteins; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D051059:PTEN Phosphohydrolase; C494929:PTEN protein, human; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases