title: [Analysis of clinicopathological, tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis parameters in adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In view of the increased incidence of carcinoma of the cardia over recent years, this work had the aim of studying the clinicopathological aspects, cell proliferative and tumor apoptotic indices of this neoplasm, their interrelations and possible influences on the prognosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty cases of adenocarcinoma of the cardia were studied between 1988 and 2001, with a minimum clinical follow-up of 3 years. Patients were excluded if they had previous chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment, presented early neoplasia, or died during the operations or for other reasons unrelated to cancer. Gender; age, Laurén and Ming histological type, staging, and the presence or absence of intestinal metaplasia, epithelial dysplasia and Helicobacter pylori in the adjacent mucosa were analyzed. The apoptotic index was evaluated via hematoxylin-eosin in the primary tumor. To analyze the cell proliferation tumor, PCNA was utilized. The immunohistochemical technique utilized was streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase. For the survival analysis, cases with distant metastasis upon diagnosis were excluded. For the statistical analysis, the Student t and Mann-Whitney tests, Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression model were utilized.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 61 years (median: 63). There was predominance of the male gender (72.5%), diffuse histological type (55%) and infiltrative histological type (72.5%), and the more advanced stages (III and IV: 67.5%). There was no association with intestinal metaplasia and/or H. pylori. No epithelial dysplasia was detected in adjacent mucosa in any of the cases. The mean apoptotic index was 7.05 in 10 high power fields and 11.40 in 500 cells (2.28%). The mean positivity to PCNA was 275.05 cells in ten high power fields and 409.33 in 500 cells (81.9%). There was a positive correlation between the cell proliferative and apoptotic indices. There was a positive correlation for intestinal histological type with PCNA and apoptotic indices, in 10 high power fields. The mean survival was 28.41 months. Age over 63 and apoptotic index over 7.05 showed a negative correlation with survival, in multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adenocarcinoma of the cardia predominated in male adults of mean age 61 years, and the predominant type was diffuse in more advanced stages. There was a correlation between apoptosis and tumoral cell proliferation. Survival in cases of adenocarcinoma of the cardia is still low. Both age and apoptosis were independent prognostic factors in cancer of the cardia.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo. anamader@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Ana Maria Amaral Antonio
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mader
authors.forename: Francy Reis da Silva
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Patrício
authors.forename: Moacyr Pezati
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rigueiro
authors.forename: Laercio Gomes
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Lourenço
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017209:Apoptosis; D001938:Brazil; D002299:Cardia / Q000473:pathology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen