title: Expression and significances of contactin-1 in human gastric cancer.
abstract: Background. This study aimed at determining the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3), and contactin-1 (CNTN-1) expression in gastric cancer (GC). Methods. The expression level of CNTN-1 mRNA and CNTN-1 protein of 33 cases was determined using RT-PCR and Western Blot. And 105 cases were immunohistochemically examined for VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, and CNTN-1 expressions. Assessment of lymphatic vessel density (LVD) was also performed by D2-40 immunostaining. Then we analyzed the relationships between VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, and CNTN-1, as well as their correlations with clinicopathologic features, LVD, and survival time. Results. The positivity rate of VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, and CNTN-1 in primary tumor was 56.19%, 64.76%, and 58.09%. The expression of CNTN-1 significantly correlated with VEGF-C (P < 0.001) and VEGFR-3 (P < 0.001). All of them were closely related to TNM stage, lymphatic invasion, and lymph node involvement (P < 0.05). LVD was significantly correlated with VEGF-C (P = 0.001), VEGFR-3 (P = 0.011), and CNTN-1 expression (P < 0.001). VEGF-C, VEGFR-3, and CNTN-1 expression significantly associated with poorer prognosis (P < 0.001, P = 0.034, P = 0.012, resp.). Conclusion. CNTN-1 associated with VEGF-C and VEGFR-3 expression in GC. All of them correlated with lymphatic metastasis, which might play an important role in the lymphatic invasion via lymphangiogenesis pathway in GC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Shanghai 3rd People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao-tong University, Shanghai 201900, China.
authors.forename: Ji-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Sheng-Hua
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rui-Qi
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Ju-Gang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xiao-Chun
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.forename: Gou-Cai
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hai-Guang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Lin-Hai
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Xiao-Qiang
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Guang-Ye
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Bo-Jian
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Jiang