title: Overexpression of tyrosine kinase B protein as a predictor for distant metastases and prognosis in gastric carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) is associated with aggressive behavior and poor prognosis in various cancers. Here we examined the association between TrkB expression and distant metastases/prognosis in gastric carcinoma (GC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed TrkB expression in 161 GC patients by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. The correlation of TrkB mRNA and protein expression levels was examined in 10 patients by RT-PCR assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TrkB expression was of level 1 in 97 (60.2%) and level 2 in 64 (39.8%) patients. Patients with level 2 expression had a significantly higher incidence of distant metastases (p < 0.0001), well-differentiated tumors (p < 0.005), deeper depth of invasion (p < 0.005) and poorer disease-free and overall survival (p < 0.0001 each) compared to patients with level 1. Multivariate analysis identified the level of TrkB expression as an independent prognostic factor for both disease-free and overall survival (p < 0.01 and p < 0.0001, respectively). Both lymph node metastasis (odds ratio = 10.7) and TrkB expression (odds ratio = 9.3) were independent predictors of distant metastases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high level of TrkB expression was observed in well-differentiated GC subtypes and is a predictor for distant metastases and prognosis in GC.
authors: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Yoshiyuki
authors: Y
authors: Fujiwara
authors: Yuichiro
authors: Y
authors: Doki
authors: Shuji
authors: S
authors: Takiguchi
authors: Takushi
authors: T
authors: Yasuda
authors: Hiroshi
authors: H
authors: Miyata
authors: Makoto
authors: M
authors: Yamazaki
authors: Chew Yee
authors: CY
authors: Ngan
authors: Hirofumi
authors: H
authors: Yamamoto
authors: Qingyong
authors: Q
authors: Ma
authors: Morito
authors: M
authors: Monden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases