Expression of anion exchanger 1 is associated with tumor progress in human gastric cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Anion exchanger 1 (AE1) is a transmembrane glycoprotein which is abundantly expressed in erythrocyte plasma membrane and mediates the electroneutral exchange of Cl(-) and HCO(3) (-). We previously reported that the AE1 protein was unexpectedly expressed in the gastric and colonic cancer and take part in the carcinogenesis of the cancer cells. The aim of the present study is to determine the potential clinical implications of AE1 expression in gastric carcinoma.


METHODS
Immunohistochemistry assay was used to determine the expression of AE1 protein. The expression of AE1 in normal and malignant tissues from 286 patients with early and advanced gastric carcinoma was examined. The correlations of AE1 expression with clinicopathological parameters, including age, tumor size, location and subtypes, expression frequency, survival period and lymph metastasis were assessed by Chi-squared test and t test analysis.


RESULTS
AE1 immunoreactivity was negative in normal gastric tissue. Positive immunostaining of AE1 was detected in gastric carcinoma regardless of the location. AE1 was most frequently expressed in the gastric antrum carcinoma compared with gastric body cancer (P = 0.034). Expression of AE1 was significantly associated with bigger tumor size, deeper invasion, shorter survival period, and non-lymph metastasis. In para-cancer tissues of intestinal-type gastric cancer, the expression frequency of AE1 was higher than that in diffuse-type (P = 0.011).


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed a strong association of AE1 expression with the onset and progression of the gastric cancer and that may be helpful for improving the tumor classification and the treatment of cancer.
Xu
Wei-Qing
WQ
Department of Pathology, Institutes of Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, People's Republic of China.
Song
Ling-Jun
LJ
Liu
Qiang
Q
Zhao
Lei
L
Zheng
Lin
L
Yan
Zhao-Wen
ZW
Fu
Guo-Hui
GH