Analysis of Factors associated with Peritoneal Metastatic Ability of Scirrrhous Gastric Cancer Cells

Tohru Inoue, Masakazu Yashiro, Shigehiko Nishimura, Tasuku Matsuoka, Yoshito Yamashita, Nobuya Yamada, Tetsuji Sawada, Bunzo Nakata, Masaichi Ohira and Kosei Hirakawa-YS Chung

First Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School

The mechanisms responsible for peritoneal metastasis are not well understood. We established a high-peritoneal-metastasis cell line (OCUM-2MD3) from a poor-peritoneal-metastasis gastric cancer cell line (OCUM-2M). Factors associated with peritoneal metastasis were analyzed by comparing the characters of the two cell lines. The process of peritoneal metastasis has comprised several steps. When cancer cells invade through the gastric wall, matrix metalloproteinase-1 is an important factor. When cancer cells escape from primary tumor into peritoneal space, decreased E-cadherin expression is a favorable event for cancer cell dissociation. CD44H was associated with attachment between cancer cells and mesothelial cells. α2β1-integrin and α3β1-integrin were associated with attachment to the matrix of the peritoneal stroma. Peritoneal fibrosis induced by gastric cancer cells was a favorable environment for peritoneal metastasis. The above factors appear to be necessary to the ability to produce peritoneal metastasis.

Key words
scirrhous gastric cancer, peritoneal dissemination, adhesion molecule

Reprint requests
Toru Inoue First Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka, 545-8585 JAPAN

Accepted
December 22, 1999

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