[Expression of c-erbB-2 and c-met proteins in gastric adenoma and adenocarcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical overexpression of c-erbB-2 and c-met proteins according to the histopathological parameters such as grade of dysplasia, histological type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in gastric adenoma and gastric adenocarcinoma.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal c-erbB-2 and c-met antibodies was performed on paraffin embedded specimens in 43 adenomas and 44 adenocarcinomas.


RESULTS
The expression rate of c-erbB-2 was higher in adenomas (91%) than adenocarcinomas (30%). The expression rate of c-met was higher in adenocarcinomas (77%) than adenomas (49%). In adenoma, the expression rate of c-met was higher in high grade dysplasia (94%) than in low grade dysplasia (22%). In adenocarcinoma, c-met expression was significantly related with lymph node metastasis.


CONCLUSIONS
c-erbB-2 would be involved in the development of relatively early stage gastric carcinogenesis. c-erbB-2 is related with histologic type and c-met with lymph node metastasis in gastric carcinomas. Although meaning for the expression of these proteins in gastric carcinomas would be different, these proteins may play as important oncogenes in gastric carcinogenesis.
Lee
Seung Woo
SW
Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kang
Sang Beom
SB
Kim
Yon Soo
YS
Nam
Soon Woo
SW
Lee
Dong Soo
DS
Lee
Hye Kyung
HK
Han
Sok Won
SW
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases