Cell proliferation and apoptosis in gastric cancer and intestinal metaplasia.
BACKGROUND
Higher proliferation is commonly observed in cancer cells. Apoptosis can be a useful measure of a tumor cell kinetic. Alteration of the balance between proliferation and apoptosis is associated with cancer.


OBJECTIVE
To study proliferation and apoptosis on gastric cancer and in intestinal metaplasia.


METHODS
Twenty-two samples from gastric adenocarcinomas and 22 biopsies from intestinal metaplasia were studied. The apoptotic bodies in hematoxylin-eosin slides and the expression of p53, bcl-2 and Ki67 were determined by immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
The number of the apoptotic cells was higher in cancer. Ki 67LI increased from intestinal metaplasia to gastric cancer. p53 was positive in 68% of the patients with cancer, more frequently in advanced stage and negative in samples of intestinal metaplasia. Although there was no significant difference between the groups, bcl-2 was positive in 45% of gastric cancer tissue and in 68% of metaplasia. In gastric cancer patients bcl-2 was expressed in early gastric cancer more frequently than in advanced stage.


CONCLUSIONS
The positivity of bcl-2 was higher in metaplasia and probably is involved in the progression of carcinogenesis. p53 was negative in metaplasia and positive in more than half of the gastric cancer, mostly in stage IV, suggesting a late event in gastric cancer.
Oncology Group/Gastroenterology Division, Federal University of Sao Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. nora@gastro.epm.br
Nora Manoukian
NM
Forones
Ana Paula Souza
AP
Carvalho
Oswaldo
O
Giannotti-Filho
Laércio Gomes
LG
Lourenço
Celina Tizuko Fujiyama
CT
Oshima
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008679:Metaplasia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis
D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53