Expression of hepatoma-derived growth factor is correlated with lymph node metastasis and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF) is a unique nuclear/growth factor and might play an important role in the development and progression of carcinomas. In the present study, association of HDGF expression with recurrence and prognosis of gastric carcinoma was examined.


METHODS
HDGF expression in 317 patients with gastric carcinoma (233 males and 84 females) with ages ranging from 26 to 81 years (median, 60 years) was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Samples with >90% of tumor cells to express positive immunoreactivity similar to or stronger than that in endothelial cells both for nucleus and cytoplasm were regarded as HDGF index level 2, and others as HDGF index level 1.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-two cases showed level 1 HDGF expression, whereas 135 cases showed level 2 HDGF expression. Patients with level 2 expression showed higher rates of proximal tumor location (P < 0.0001), large tumor size (P < 0.0001), infiltrative tumor growth (P < 0.0001), presence of vascular and lymphatic invasion (P < 0.0001 for both), presence of lymph node metastasis (P < 0.0001), deep tumor invasion (P < 0.0001), and poorer disease-free and overall survival (P < 0.0001 for both) compared to those with level 1 expression. Multivariate analysis revealed HDGF expression level as an independent prognosticator for disease-free and overall survival.


CONCLUSIONS
HDGF expression level was shown to be a prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma.
Yamamoto
Shinji
S
Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan. shinjiyamamoto2005@yahoo.co.jp
Tomita
Yasuhiko
Y
Hoshida
Yoshihiko
Y
Takiguchi
Shuji
S
Fujiwara
Yoshiyuki
Y
Yasuda
Takushi
T
Doki
Yuichiro
Y
Yoshida
Kenya
K
Aozasa
Katsuyuki
K
Nakamura
Hideji
H
Monden
Morito
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C051610:hepatoma-derived growth factor