The expression of claudin-1, claudin-2, claudin-3, and claudin-4 in gastric cancer tissue.

BACKGROUND: The claudins (CLDNs) are a family of functional tight junction proteins, and are involved with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The claudin proteins have a significant influence on the biological behavior of tumor progression in several types of cancers. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression pattern of claudin-1, claudin-2, claudin-3, and claudin-4 in gastric cancer tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tissue was obtained from surgically resected specimens of 72 patients who were diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma at a single institution. The expressions of claudin-1, claudin-2, claudin-3, and claudin-4 were determined by immunohistochemical staining with the ABC method. RESULTS: Claudin-2 demonstrated the highest expression rate (73.6%) and claudin-4 demonstrated the lowest expression rate (44.4%). The expression of claudin-1 was significantly lower in cases of intestinal type adenocarcinoma based on the Lauren classification. The expressions of claudin-3 and claudin-4 were significantly lower in cases with positive lymphatic invasion. The expression of claudin-3 was significantly lower in cases with an advanced T-stage (T3 and T4). The expression of claudin-3 showed significantly positive correlations with the expression of the other claudin proteins. In survival analysis, the expression of claudin-4 was related to good overall survival rate with significance (P = 0.046). CONCLUSION: We suggest that claudin-3 and claudin-4 represent useful molecular markers for gastric cancer. Claudin-3 and claudin-4 would be the most important proteins related to the lymphatic invasion process, and claudin-4 would be useful with prognostic marker based on our results. Further investigations with a greater number of subjects are required to identify the action mechanism of claudin in gastric cancer.

Does tumor size have an impact on gastric cancer? A single institute experience.

PURPOSE: The present study investigated the prognostic significance of tumor size in gastric carcinoma patients. METHODS: Nine hundred seventy-three gastric carcinoma patients who underwent curative gastrectomy were included and hospital records were reviewed to determine the relationship between tumor size and survival. RESULTS: First, the patients were divided based on the mean value of the tumor size in respective stages to control selection bias. Only in stages I and III was tumor size a significant independent prognostic factor. Second, we analyzed the appropriate cutoff value for the large tumor. The minimum criterion for a large tumor, which was determined by the receiver-operating characteristic curve for cancer-related death, was 3.5 cm. There were significant differences between patients with large and small tumors with respect to depth of invasion, number of lymph node metastasis, and stage of disease. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor size serves as an indicator of prognosis in gastric cancer patients and a tumor size of 3.5 cm can be used as a significant lower limit of standard size criterion.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's hemangioma) of the liver: a new hepatic lesion.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (Masson's hemangioma) is a disease characterized by exuberant endothelial proliferation within the lumen of medium-sized veins. In 1923, Masson regarded this disease as a neoplasm inducing endothelial proliferation, however, now it is considered to be a reactive vascular proliferation following traumatic vascular stasis. The lesion has a propensity to occur in the head, neck, fingers, and trunk. Occurrence within the abdominal cavity is known to be very rare, and especially in the liver, there has been no reported case up to date. The authors have experienced intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia of the liver in a 69-yr-old woman, and report the case with a review of the literature.