Use of KAI-1 as a prognostic factor in gastric carcinoma.

AIMS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression level of KAI-1 in gastric carcinomas and compare with the clinicopathological characteristics.

METHODS

KAI-1 expressions were detected with immunohistochemical methods in 257 patients with gastric carcinomas.

RESULTS

KAI-1 was highly expressed in normal gastric epithelium, whereas only 86 of 257 (33.5%) patients with gastric carcinomas were KAI-1 positive. The expression levels, however, decreased with the loss of tumor differentiation, increase in tumor invasion depth, increase in the number of metastatic lymph nodes and perinodal invasions, and progression in the tumor stage. Distant metastatic and stage 4 tumors were all KAI-1 negative. All of these results were statistically significant (P<0.05). There were no correlations between KAI-1 expression and the other parameters such as age, sex, tumor location, tumor size, WHO, Lauren's and Bormann's classifications, neural and angiovascular invasion of the tumor and intestinal metaplasia in adjacent gastric mucosa (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION

Loss of KAI-1 may be considered a significant prognostic parameter in predicting the progression of the gastric carcinomas when evaluated along with the clinical and pathological parameters.