title: A high number of IgG4-positive cells in gastric cancer tissue is associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis.
abstract: IgG4-related disease is a newly defined disease characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels and infiltration of affected organs by IgG4-positive plasma cells. Recently, increased IgG4 levels were reported to be closely related with malignancy. To assess the relationship between IgG4 and the progression of gastric cancer, we immunohistochemically stained in this study gastric cancer tissue samples for IgG4-positive cells using an anti-IgG4 antibody. In addition, pre- and postoperative serum concentrations of IgG4 were measured, using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In gastric cancer samples, the number of CD138-positive plasma cells was significantly lower and the number of IgG4-positive cells significantly higher than in non-cancerous gastric mucosa. The number of IgG4-positive cells was significantly correlated with gross tumor appearance, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, venous invasion, and lymphatic invasion. Prognosis was significantly poorer in patients with a high number of IgG4-positive cells than in those with a low number. Multivariate analysis indicated that both the number of IgG4-positive cells and the depth of tumor invasion were independently prognostic of survival. In conclusion, in gastric cancer, the number of IgG4-positive cells is increased and this is closely associated with gastric cancer progression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyatani
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan. sai10@med.tottori-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Joji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsunaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osaki
authors.affiliation: Division of Functional Genomics, Research Center for Bioscience and Technology, Tottori University, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Division of Organ Pathology, Tottori University School of Medicine, Yonago, 683-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Umekita
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, Tottori University School of Medicine, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago, 683-8504, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeguchi
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques / Q000379:methods; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007074:Immunoglobulin G
keywords: B cell; Gastric cancer; IgG4; prognosis