Cadherin-catenin adhesion system and mucin expression: a comparison between young and older patients with gastric carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Young patients are thought to develop gastric carcinomas with a molecular genetic profile that is distinct from that of gastric carcinomas occurring at a later age. The aim of this study was to compare the clinicopathological features and expression patterns of the markers E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and mucins (MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6) in young and older patients.


METHODS
The clinicopathological features and overall survival data of 62 young patients (age <or=40 years) with gastric cancer were retrospectively reviewed from hospital records and compared with the data for 453 older patients (age >40 years). A tissue microarray method and immunohistochemistry were used in order to analyze marker expression in paraffin-embedded tissue blocks obtained from both groups.


RESULTS
The young group presented a higher percentage of diffuse-type tumors in comparison to the older group (P<0.01). The rates of positivity for E-cadherin and beta-catenin membranous expression patterns and mucin (MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6) positivity were higher in the young group (P<0.01). Although young patients showed a lower frequency of alterations in marker expression and had significantly better survival rates than the older patients, neither age nor the marker expression pattern were found to be independent prognostic factors of survival. Only stage, tumor size, and tumor location persisted as prognostic factors for patients with gastric cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Biological markers of cellular adhesion and gastric differentiation were differently expressed in young and older patients. Our findings support the hypothesis that young patients develop carcinomas with a different genetic pathway compared to the pathway of tumors occurring at a later age, and we suggest further investigations to assess the prognostic relevance of the markers to specific subgroups.
Silva
Edaise M
EM
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Hospital AC Camargo, Rua Antonio Prudente, 109-1o Andar, São Paulo 01509-010, Brazil.
Begnami
Maria D
MD
Fregnani
José Humberto T G
JH
Pelosof
Adriane G
AG
Zitron
Claudia
C
Montagnini
André L
AL
Soares
Fernando Augusto
FA
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055271:Mucin 5AC / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018396:Mucin-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055262:Mucin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055272:Mucin-6 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; C524678:MUC5AC protein, human; C524734:MUC6 protein, human; D055271:Mucin 5AC; D018396:Mucin-1; D055262:Mucin-2; D055272:Mucin-6; D051176:beta Catenin