title: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of gastric cancer: Correlations of the pharmacokinetic parameters with histological type, Lauren classification, and angiogenesis.
abstract: To compare the pharmacokinetic parameters derived from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in gastric cancers of different histological type and Lauren classification, and to investigate whether DCE-MRI parameters correlate with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression levels in gastric cancer.
  
  
  
  Included were 32 patients with gastric cancer who underwent DCE-MRI of the upper abdomen before tumor resection. DCE-MRI parameters including the volume transfer coefficient (Ktrans), reverse reflux rate constant (Kep), and extracellular extravascular volume fraction (Ve) were calculated from the tumor region. Post-operative specimens were used for determination of histological differentiation (i.e., non-mucinous, mucinous, or signet-ring-cell adenocarcinoma) as well as Lauren classification (intestinal type or diffuse type). VEGF expression was examined for assessing angiogenesis. DCE-MRI parameters with different histological type and Lauren classification were compared using independent samples t-test and analysis of variance, respectively. Correlations between DCE-MRI parameters and VEGF expression grades were tested using Spearman correlation analysis.
  
  
  
  Among gastric adenocarcinomas of three different histological types, mucinous adenocarcinomas showed a higher Veand lower Ktransthan the others (P<0.01). Between the two Lauren classifications, the diffuse type showed a higher Vethan the intestinal type (P<0.001). The mean Ktransshowed a significantly positive correlation with VEGF (r=0.762, P<0.001).
  
  
  
  DCE-MRI permits noninvasive prediction of tumor histological type and Lauren classification and estimation of tumor angiogenesis in gastric cancer. DCE-MRI parameters can be used as imaging biomarkers to predict the biologic aggressiveness of a tumor as well as patient prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Shaoqiang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Renji Hospital, Medical School of Jiaotong University, No. 160, Pujian Road, Pudong District, Shanghai 200127, China. Electronic address: zhangwei976@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Tongji Hospital, Tongji University, No. 389, Xincun Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200065, China. Electronic address: tongjipjwang@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Peijun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003287:Contrast Media; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
keywords: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; Gastric cancer; Vascular endothelial growth factor