Molecular characteristics of differentiated-type gastric carcinoma with distinct mucin phenotype: LI-cadherin is associated with intestinal phenotype.
Gastric carcinomas (GC) are classified into four phenotypes on the basis of the mucin expression profile: G type (gastric or foveolar phenotype), I type (intestinal phenotype), GI type (intestinal and gastric mixed phenotype) and N type (neither gastric nor intestinal phenotype). Immunohistochemistry was used to examine the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), E-cadherin, liver-intestine (LI)-cadherin, CD44v9 and p53 and correlation of these molecules with mucin phenotype and tumor stage was evaluated. Overexpression of EGFR and LI-cadherin, reduced expression of E-cadherin and abnormal expression of p53 were observed more frequently in advanced GC than in early GC. Among I-type GC, overexpression of EGFR and reduced expression of E-cadherin were observed more frequently in advanced tumors than in early tumors. Among G-type GC, reduced expression of E-cadherin was significantly associated with advanced tumors. With respect to the relationship between mucin phenotype and expression of cancer-related molecules, overexpression of LI-cadherin was observed more frequently in I-type (12/25, 48.0%) than in G-type (1/14, 7.1%) GC. I-type GC tended to express LI-cadherin more frequently than GI-type GC. These results provide insights into the molecular characteristics of the distinct mucin phenotype of differentiated-type GC and suggest that LI-cadherin may contribute to the biological behavior of I-type GC.
Motoshita
Junichi
J
Department of Molecular Pathology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
Nakayama
Hirofumi
H
Taniyama
Kiyomi
K
Matsusaki
Keisuke
K
Yasui
Wataru
W
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D015820:Cadherins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009077:Mucins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C448906:CD44v9 antigen; C490584:CDH17 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D009077:Mucins; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D066246:ErbB Receptors