title: Detection of β-catenin, gastrokine-2 and embryonic stem cell expressed ras in gastric cancers.
abstract: ERas activation and GKN2 reduction in gastric cancer has raised some notices in recent years, while nuclear beta-catenin positivity is considered as a tumoral marker. In this study, we compared immunohistochemistry of beta-catenin, GKN2 and ERas on tumoral and non-tumoral mucosae of 50 gastric carcinomas and 13 gastric samples of cancer-free patients. Nuclear positivity of beta-catenin was strong in 31 non-tumoral mucosae (62%) and 29 tumoral mucosae (58%). It was absent in samples of cancer-free patients. There was a correlation between non-tumoral and tumoral zones for nuclear beta-catenin positivity (P=0.013). ERas was positive in 35 non-tumoral tissues (70%) and 31 tumoral tissues (62%) but negatvie in samples of cancer-free patients. It was weak and spotty in non-tumoral mucosae but strong and diffuse in tumors. Positivity of ERas was age-related (P=0.028). However it had background staining effect. GKN2 was expressed in 33 non-tumoral mucosae (66%) and 35 tumoral mucosae (70%). Though GKN2 staining was moderate to strong in non-tumoral tissues and was comparatively weaker in tumors, their difference was minimal and difficult to discern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beta-catenin nuclear location could be considered as a paraneoplastic pattern which is considerably tumor-related. ERas may be a potential biomarker for gastric cancer, but advanced studies are wanted. GKN2 reduction is indiscernible by immunostaining.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Medical College, Shanghai Jiaotong University Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jing Ying
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Ping Ping
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhao Wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Yan
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras) / Q000378:metabolism*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C495270:CTNNB1 protein, human; D002352:Carrier Proteins; C474774:ERas protein, human; C503073:GKN2 protein, human; D051176:beta Catenin; D015689:Oncogene Protein p21(ras)