title: Significance of preoperative tissue levels of vascular-endothelial cadherin, liver-intestine cadherin and vascular endothelial growth factor in gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aims of this study were to examine the expressions of endothelium specific VE-cadherin, intestine specific LI-cadherin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and to determine their relationships with the clinicopathological parameters of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total 47 patients with gastric cancer who underwent surgery were enrolled. Endoscopic biopsies were obtained from the cancer and normal mucosa, respectively. Using semiquantitative RT-PCR, the mRNA expression levels of VE-cadherin, LI-cadherin and VEGF were measured by tumor/normal (T/N) ratios. The protein expressions of VE-cadherin, LI-cadherin and VEGF were examined by Western blot and immunohistochemical stain in surgically resected tissues. The clinicopathological variables were reviewed and analyzed, retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty two cases (46.8%) of VE-cadherin, 25 cases (53.2%) of LI-cadherin and 27 cases (51.1%) of VEGF mRNA expressions were overexpressed in gastric cancer compared to normal tissue. There was a tendency for T/N ratio of VE-cadherin mRNA to correlate with the lymphatic invasion (p=0.07) and the lymph node metastasis (p=0.099) in advanced gastric cancer. The T/N ratio of LI-cadherin mRNA showed significant association with distant metastasis (p=0.031) and lymphatic invasion especially in advanced gastric cancer (p=0.023). There was a tendency for the T/N ratio of VEGF mRNA to correlate with the distant metastasis (p=0.073) in advanced gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As increased mRNA expression of LI-cadherin was associated with distant metastasis and lymphatic invasion especially in the biopsy specimen of advanced gastric cancer before surgery, it may provide useful preoperative information on tumor aggressiveness.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Prevention and Detection, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Kum Hei
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: Ki-Nam
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Sung-Ae
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kwon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Yang-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Joo Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005773:Gastroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099152:Cadherin 5
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000099152:Cadherin 5; C490584:CDH17 protein, human