Phosphorylated smad2 in advanced stage gastric carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) receptor signaling is closely associated with the invasion ability of gastric cancer cells. Although Smad signal is a critical integrator of TGFβ receptor signaling transduction systems, not much is known about the role of Smad2 expression in gastric carcinoma. The aim of the current study is to clarify the role of phosphorylated Smad2 (p-Smad2) in gastric adenocarcinomas at advanced stages.


METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining with anti-p-Smad2 was performed on paraffin-embedded specimens from 135 patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinomas. We also evaluated the relationship between the expression levels of p-Smad2 and clinicopathologic characteristics of patients with gastric adenocarcinomas.


RESULTS
The p-Smad2 expression level was high in 63 (47%) of 135 gastric carcinomas. The p-Smad2 expression level was significantly higher in diffuse type carcinoma (p = 0.007), tumours with peritoneal metastasis (p = 0.017), and tumours with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.047). The prognosis for p-Smad2-high patients was significantly (p = 0.035, log-rank) poorer than that of p-Smad2-low patients, while a multivariate analysis revealed that p-Smad2 expression was not an independence prognostic factor.


CONCLUSIONS
The expression of p-Smad2 is associated with malignant phenotype and poor prognosis in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.
Department of Surgical Oncology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, Japan.
Osamu
O
Shinto
Masakazu
M
Yashiro
Takahiro
T
Toyokawa
Takafumi
T
Nishii
Ryoji
R
Kaizaki
Taro
T
Matsuzaki
Satoru
S
Noda
Naoshi
N
Kubo
Hiroaki
H
Tanaka
Yosuke
Y
Doi
Masaichi
M
Ohira
Kazuya
K
Muguruma
Tetsuji
T
Sawada
Kosei
K
Hirakawa
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007564:Japan; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors
C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein