Increments of alpha-dystroglycan expression in liver metastasis correlate with poor survival in gastric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Dystroglycan (DG) is a recently focused adhesion molecule with possible roles in cancer development and progression. We investigated correlations between alpha-DG expression and prognosis in gastric carcinoma with liver metastasis.


METHODS
For 40 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and liver-only metastasis, alpha-DG expression was determined by immunohistochemistry in paraffin-embedded surgical specimens of resected stomach tumor, resected liver metastasis, and their normal counterpart tissues. Correlations between alpha-DG expression and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed.


RESULTS
alpha-DG expression was higher in primary gastric cancer (P = 0.006) and lower in liver metastasis (P = 0.002) than in each normal counterpart. In primary stomach cancer, patients who had lower alpha-DG expression in tumors than in normal counterparts showed poor overall survival (OS) (P = 0.028). In contrast, in the liver, patients who had higher alpha-DG expression in tumors than in normal counterparts showed poor OS (P = 0.022). Also, higher alpha-DG expression in liver metastasis than in stomach tumors led to poor recurrence-free survival (P = 0.023) and OS (P = 0.056).


CONCLUSIONS
This approach may be used to further understanding of the pathogenesis of liver metastasis from gastric cancer. Further studies are warranted to reveal the mechanisms of alpha-DG dysregulation in liver metastasis.
Moon
Yong Wha
YW
Cancer Metastasis Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 120-752, South Korea.
Rha
Sun Young
SY
Zhang
Xianglan
X
Jeung
Hei-Cheul
HC
Yang
Woo Ick
WI
Kwon
Obin
O
Jeong
Jae Heon
JH
Cheon
Sung Hah
SH
Yoo
Nae Choon
NC
Chung
Hyun Cheol
HC
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D049030:Dystroglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery
D049030:Dystroglycans