Expression of Runx-3 and β-catenin proteins in early gastric cancer and their clinical significance / 临床与实验病理学杂志

Purpose To evaluate the relationship between the expression of Runx-3 and β-catenin protein in EGC with the clinical factors.Methods Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of Runx-3 and β-catenin protein in 30 cases of normal gastric mucosa and 49 cases of EGC.Results The expression rate of Runx-3 protein in normal gastric mucosa (86.67％) was significantly higher than that in EGC tissues (34.69％) (P ＜ 0.05).β-catenin staining was strongly positive (100％) in normal gastric mucosa compared with that in EGC (57.14％) (P ＜ 0.05),while the abnormal expression rate of β-catenin (0) was significantly lower than that in EGC tissues (75.51％) (P ＜ 0.05).No correlation was found between the expression of Runx-3 and β-catenin protein with the clinicopathological factors,including sex,age,and tumor size except vessel invasion.Conclusion The reduced expression of Runx-3 in EGC indicates that it may be used as a favorable marker for the diagnosis of EGC.The loss of β-catenin protein membrane expression while ectopic expressed on nuclear or cytoplasm in EGC and the membrane expression of β-catenin protein is completely absent in the early stage of vascular invasion suggesting that the expression of β-catenin protein is closely related to the occurrence and development of EGC.A join-detection of Runx-3 and β-catenin expression will be helpful for the diagnosis of EGC.

Carbon Dioxide versus Air Insufflation in Gastric Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) with air insufflation is commonly used for the staging and treatment of early gastric carcinoma. However, carbon dioxide (CO2) use has been shown to cause less post-procedural pain and fewer adverse events. The objective of this study was to compare the post-procedural pain and adverse events associated with CO₂ and air insufflation in ESD. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted for randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing the two approaches in ESD. The Mantel-Haenszel method was used to analyze the data. The mean difference (MD) and odds ratio (OR) were used for continuous and categorical variables, respectively. RESULTS: Four RCTs with a total of 391 patients who underwent ESD were included in our meta-analysis. The difference in maximal post-procedural pain between the two groups was statistically significant (MD, -7.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -13.6 – -1.21; p=0.020). However, no significant differences were found in the length of procedure, end-tidal CO2, rate of perforation, and postprocedural hemorrhage between the two groups. The incidence of overall adverse events was significantly lower in the CO2 group (OR, 0.51; CI, 0.32–0.84; p=0.007). CONCLUSIONS:: CO2 insufflation in gastric ESD is associated with less post-operative pain and discomfort, and a lower risk of overall adverse events compared with air insufflation.

The clinicopathologic factors analysis of early mixed signet ring cell in gastric carcinoma / 实用肿瘤学杂志

Objective To analyze the clinic pathologic factors and survival rate by performing a retro-spective study on the early gastric carcinoma (EGC)with signet ring cell underwent curative gastrostomy (SRC) percentage less than 50%after operation .Methods A total of 424 patients was diagnosed as EGC from January 2008 to January 2010 in Changhai Hospital .The patients were divided into three groups according to the different percentage of SRC within tumor cells , SRC group ( with percentage of SCR more than 50%) , Mixed SRC group (with percentage of SRC less than 50%),and Non-SRC group(Classic adenocarcinoma without SRC ).Then we evaluated the clinic pathologic indicators and prognoses , and study on the relationship with histologic types . Results In ECG,the mixed-SRC group was similar to the SRC group on the phases of onset age and sex .On the other phases,the mixed-SRC group was more associated with mucosa -confined,lower lymph node metasta-sis(LNM),and 5-year survival rate was better than adenocarcinoma group (P<0.05).However,the mixed-SRC group showed more submucosal invasion ,and higher LNM than other groups ( P<0 .05 ) .The mixed-SRC component was one of the independent risk factors of LNM .Conclusion In EGC,mixed-SRC had a more favor-able risk factor of LNM ,showed more aggressive behavior than other groups and displayed poor prognosis .

Prognostic Significance of Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression in Early Gastric Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Overexpression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) has been observed in many types of cancer including gastric adenocarcinomas, although the exact role of HSP70 in carcinogenesis remains unclear. METHODS: The study analyzed a total of 458 radical gastrectomy specimens which were immunohistochemically stained with HSP70, p53, and Ki-67 antibodies. RESULTS: The study determined that the expression of HSP70 was significantly increased in early gastric cancer (EGC) compared to advanced gastric cancer (p<0.001). The HSP70 expression was correlated with well-differentiated tumor type, intestinal type of Lauren classification and the lower pT and pN stage. Negative expression of Ki-67 and p53 expression was associated with poor prognosis. The study did not find any correlation between HSP70 and p53 expression. The study determined that HSP70 expression in the EGC subgroup was associated with a poor prognosis (p=0.009), as well as negative Ki-67 expression (p=0.006), but was not associated with p53. Based on multivariate analysis, HSP70 expression (p=0.024), negative expression of Ki-67, invasion depth and lymph node metastasis were determined to be independent prognostic markers. CONCLUSIONS: HSP70 is expressed in the early stages of gastric adenocarcinoma. In EGC, HSP70 is a poor independent prognostic marker and is correlated with a low proliferation index.

A Case of Gastric Inverted Hyperplastic Polyp Associated with Gastritis Cystica Profunda and Early Gastric Carcinoma

A gastric inverted hyperplastic polyp is characterized by downward growth of the hyperplastic mucosal components into the submucosa. Lesions are composed of hyperplastic foveolar-type glands, and sometimes coexist with gastritis cystica profunda (GCP). Adenocarcinoma frequen- tly can coexist, but the relationship is not clear. A 71-year-old male was admitted to hospital because of dyspepsia for one month. He underwent a wedge resection of the stomach, after endoscopic biopsies. The gross finding showed a slightly elevated papillary lesion with central depression. Microscopically, the elevated lesion was composed of hyperplastic fundic glands and foveolar cells, and the central depressed lesion showed a nodular inverted proliferation of normal appearing gastric epithelium and glands in the submucosa. An additional proximal gastrectomy specimen exhibited marked GCP and a minute adenocarcinoma at the proximal margin with p53 protein overexpression.

Synchronous Early Gastric Cancer Resembling Submucosal Tumor at the Fundus

Concern about detecting gastric carcinoma in its early stages has increased the incidence of detecting multiple synchronous gastric carcinomas. Although gastric carcinomas may present with various gross features, those showing the features of submucosal tumor (SMT) are rare. We report on a case of synchronous gastric carcinomas comprising one lesion with typical features of superficial early gastric carcinoma and the other with atypical features that mimicked SMT. Even though synchronous gastric carcinoma is rare, it may be worthwhile to make a pathological diagnosis of coexisting SMT using endoscopic-ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration or endoscopic mucosal resection.

A Case of Gastric Metastasis of Breast Carcinoma Resembling Early Gastric Cancer / 대한소화기학회지

Many patients suffering from breast carcinoma have metastases at initial diagnosis. The common metastatic sites are skeleton, liver and lung. Metastases to stomach are rare and only three cases have been reported in Korea. The endoscopic features of gastric metastases from breast carcinoma can be divided into three main categories: diffuse infiltration, external compression, and localized tumor deposition with ulceration or with a polypoid mass. However, metastatic gastric lesions which resemble early gastric carcinoma are rare. Typically, gastric metastases are confined to submucosa and muscularis, so that mucosal biopsy specimens might be false-negative. We report a case of gastric metastasis from infiltrative lobular carcinoma of the breast in a 66-year-old woman who had undergone left mastectomy with postoperative radiotherapy 17 years earlier. Initial diagnosis was early gastric carcinoma, signet ring cell type on gastric biopsy findings. However, definitive diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer was confirmed after endoscopic mucosal resection of a presumed primary early gastric carcinoma.

A Case of Early Gastric Carcinoma Combined with Hypereosinophilic Multiple Liver Abscesses / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Eosinophilia is defined as the presence of more than 500 eosinophil/mL of blood and is common in the clinical condition such as parasite infestation, drug, allergy, hypereosinophilic syndrome, and malignant diseases. Determining the cause of eosinophilia may be one of the most frustrating endeavors in clinical medicine. Hepatic infiltration of eosinophils and microabscess formation are observed in many disorders. Gastric cancer and intestinal malignancies show frequent liver metastasis and blood eosinophilia. Several cases of an early gastric carcinoma (EGC) with metastasis of the liver have been reported. When multiple intrahepatic lesions of suspicious malignancy appear in radiologic study, clinicians must differentiate malignancy from benign diseases. A case is herein reported of a 56- year-old male patient with synchronously developed, multiple low density hepatic lesions with early gastric carcinoma. He was managed with systemic chemotherapy at another hospital, because he was diagnosed with distant metastasis of early gastric carcinoma. Upon operating these lesions were proved to be EGC combined with hypereosinophilic multiple liver abscesses. This case is herein reported with a review of relevant literatures.

Diagnostic p53 expression in gastric endoscopic mucosal resection

Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has been standardized for the treatment of intestinal type of intramucosal gastric carcinomas, and careful histological examination of the resected specimen is important for further treatment. To evaluate the diagnostic utility of p53 expression in gastric EMR samples, using immunohistochemical staining, we examined 24 gastric carcinomas (22 intestinal types and two diffuse types) and 20 adenomas removed by EMR. Intestinal type of adenocarcinomas revealed strong p53 expression in 13 cases (59%), weak in four cases (18%), and negative in five cases (23%). Resection margins of 11 carcinomas were involved in the carcinoma cells, which showed the same p53 expression pattern with main carcinoma cells. Squeezed carcinoma cells, remaining in resection margins, were definitely identified by strong p53 expression in seven cases of which the main tumor strongly expressed p53. Microscopic in situ carcinoma could be easily detected in p53 immunostaining. Multifocal involvement and submucosal invasion of carcinomas could be demarcated easily and definitely by strong p53 expression of carcinoma cells. All adenomas showed diffuse weak p53 expression. The difference of p53 expression (p< 0.001) could be used as a differential diagnosis between adenomas and carcinomas. According to these results, we propose that for careful histological examination in hospital diagnosis, both histological evaluation and p53 immunostaining are important diagnostic parameters in EMR samples of the intestinal type of gastric carcinomas.

Laparoscopy-assisted radical subtotal gastrectomy for early gastric carcinoma

In order to evaluate whether it is possible to perform a minimal invasive operation without compromising to the radicality, we analyzed six patients who had been performed laparoscopy-assisted radical subtotal gastrectomy at Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine between September 1995 and February 1996. All patients were diagnosed easearly gastric carcinoma without lymph node metastases preoperatively by upper gastrointestinal barium study (UGI), esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD) with biopsy and computed tomography scan (CT-scan). Postoperative pathologic reports revealed that we could obtain the resection margin and regional lymph nodes sufficient enough by laparoscopy-assisted radical subtotal gastrectomy. All patients had a good postoperative course. Flatus was present on the 2nd in a patient and 3rd postoperative day in five patients respectively. Nasogastric tube was removed and oral feeding was started on the day after flatus was present. Minor bile leak was noted in one patient postoperatively and managed conservatively. The postoperative scar was in excellent condition and measured about 2 approximately 3 inches in length. And postoperative courses were uneventful in all except a patient with bile leakage. Further technical experience and development could shorten the operation time. Popular acceptance of this procedure in the management of early gastric carcinoma (EGC) may give great help to the patients.

Mucin histochemistry by paradoxical concanavalin A staining in early gastric carcinomas

Phenotypic expression of tumor cells was investigated in 33 early gastric carcinomas by mucin histochemistry using paradoxical concanavalin A staining. This staining method had been developed to differentiate 3 classes of mucins located at various sites of the alimentary tract. Twenty-five (76%) tumors contained mixtures of neutral or acid class II mucin and class III mucin, suggesting the origin of multipotential stem cells. The surface mucous cell expression was more dominant than the pyloric gland or intestinal phenotypes in the well-and poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. The intestinal properties of the tumor cells were noted not only in the well-differentiated but also in the poorly differentiated or signet ring cell carcinomas, not closely being related to the presence of background intestinal metaplasia. Signet ring cell carcinomas revealed a distinct pattern of mucin histochemistry compared with the other types.

Early Gastric Carcinoma with Hepatoid Differentiation: Report of a case with histotopographic analysis

A 56-year-old man received subtotal gastrectomy for an early gastric carcinoma type IIa+IIc with submucosal invasion. The tumor was made up of mixed papillo-tubular adenocarcinoma and solid carcinomatous portion, the latter comprising approximately four-fifths of the total tumor mass. The solid portion was confined within the submucosa and revealed a mixture of trabecular, compact and pelioid patterns of large polyhedra cells, resembling hepatocellular carcinoma of the liver(Edmondson-Steiner grade 2). Sinusoid-like vascular stroma of classical trabecular hepatocellular carcinoma intervened the tumor cell nests but was not associated with endothelial-cell lining. Immunohistochemical stainings with alpha-fetoprotein and alpha1-antitrypsin gave a strong reactivity in those areas of hepatoid differentiation and in the adjacent minute portion of adenocarcinoma. The findings suggest that a portion of gastric carcinoma may transdifferentiate into cells with hepatoid features along the line of endodermal lineage.