Hepatocellular oncofetal protein, glypican 3 is a sensitive marker for alpha-fetoprotein-producing gastric carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
Glypican 3 (GPC3) is a cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycan expressed specifically in the fetal liver and malignant neoplasms of hepatocyte lineage. The aim was to evaluate the significance of GPC3 in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric carcinoma (GC) and other forms of GC.


RESULTS
We immunohistochemically evaluated GPC3 expression in representative cases of AFP-producing GC and in a tissue microarray of a consecutive series of GCs with other markers of hepatocyte lineage (AFP, PIVKA-II and hepatocyte antigen, HEP). In a series of 10 cases of AFP-producing GC, we observed immunohistochemical positivity for GPC3, PIVKA-II and HEP in 10, three and three cases in components with a hepatoid pattern and in nine, two and five cases in components with a non-hepatoid pattern, respectively. In a series of 118 cases of GC, we observed positivity for AFP, GPC3, PIVKA-II and HEP in one (0.8%), four (3.4%), six (5.1%) and 26 cases (22%), respectively. GPC3 was observed concurrently with AFP and discordantly with PIVKA-II and HEP. GPC3 positivity was clearly stronger in a larger area compared with immunoreactivity for AFP.


CONCLUSIONS
GPC3 is a sensitive marker for AFP-producing GC and its hepatoid component and is therefore useful to identify this aggressive subgroup of GC.
Hishinuma
M
M
Department of Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Ohashi
K-I
KI
Yamauchi
N
N
Kashima
T
T
Uozaki
H
H
Ota
S
S
Kodama
T
T
Aburatani
H
H
Fukayama
M
M
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D053673:Glypicans / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C105937:GPC3 protein, human; D053673:Glypicans; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins