Expression of Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen and the c-met Proto-oncogene Product in Gastric Cancer

Ken-ichi Tanaka, Takeshi Nakamura, Shiro Nakae, Yoichi Saitoh

First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine

Expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and the c-met proto-oncogene product in gastric cancer lesions was examined immunohistochemically. The expression of PCNA was related to histological type, tumor size, depth of cancer invasion, vessel invasion and stage. The expression of the c-met proto-oncogene product was related to depth of invasion, vessel invasion, and stage. The rate of c-met expression was significantly higher in the group with a high labeling index of PCNA than in the group with a low labeling index. The group with expression of c-met and with a high PCNA labeling index had a significantly greater depth, a higher grade of lymph-node metastasis, a higher grade of vessel invasion and more advanced stage than the group without expression of c-met and with a low PCNA labeling index. These results suggest that c-met and PCNA are closely related to the progression of gastric cancer and that combined examination for both of them could yield further information about the grade of advance in gastric cancer.

Key words
gastric cancer, c-met proto-oncogene product, proliferating cell nuclear antigen

Reprint requests
Ken-chi Tanaka First Department of Surgery, Kobe University School of Medicine
7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650, JAPAN

Accepted
February 14, 1996

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