Clinicopathologic significance of gastric and intestinal phenotypic marker expression in gastric carcinomas.
BACKGROUND
It is well known that both gastric and intestinal phenotypic cell markers are expressed in gastric cancers. This study was aimed at investigating the correlation between gastric and intestinal phenotypic marker expression patterns of tumors and the clinicopathologic characteristics of gastric carcinomas.


METHODS
We evaluated phenotypic marker expression by immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal antibodies. All tumors were classified as gastric (G), gastric and intestinal mixed (GI), intestinal (I), or null (N) phenotype.


RESULTS
The tumors were phenotypically divided into G-phenotype tumors (33.2%), GI-phenotype tumors (25.7%), I-phenotype tumors (26.8%), and N-phenotype tumors (14.3%). N-phenotype tumors were associated with more corporeal location than GI- and I-phenotype tumors (o=0.009 and p=0.007, respectively), a larger size than I-phenotype tumors (0=0.007), a higher proportion of advanced gastric cancers than G-, GI-, and I-phenotype tumors (0=0.003, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively), more perineural invasion than G-, GI-, and I-phenotype tumors (p=0.076, p=0.003, and p=0.003, respectively), and more lymph node metastasis than GI-phenotype tumors (p=0.017). I-phenotype tumors were associated with a higher proportion of intestinal-type tumors than G-, GI-, and N-phenotype tumors (p<0.001, p=0.011, and p<0.001, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our results indicate that the gastric and intestinal phenotypic marker expression pattern of tumors is prognostically useful for patients with gastric carcinoma.
Kim
Gwang Ha
GH
Department of Internal Medicine, Pusan National University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
Song
Geun Am
GA
Park
Do Youn
DY
Lee
Dong Hyun
DH
Kim
Tae Oh
TO
Lee
Seong Hun
SH
Heo
Jeong
J
Kang
Dae Hwan
DH
Cho
Mong
M
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007414:Intestinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000912:Antibodies, Neoplasm; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor