[A study on the relationship between clinicopathological findings of gastric cancer and its biological behavior such as DNA ploidy pattern and immunohistochemical staining of PCNA, laminin, p53 and nm 23].

UNLABELLED

The quantity of DNA ploidy and the expression of PCNA, laminin, p53 and nm23 by immunohistochemical stain were investigated using paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from 135 gastric cancer patients, and were compared with clinicopathological findings.

RESULTS

(1) The incidence of DNA high ploidy (HP) was significantly higher in such a case with infiltrating type (INF) and positive lymph node metastasis (p+) compared with that of negative cases. (2) The high level of PCNA labeling index (HLI), negative expression of laminin (NEL) and nm23 (NE23) were more frequently observed in INF; large tumor size, deep invasion and p+, while positive p 53 was noted only in p+ cases. (3) The survival curve of HP, HLI, NEL, and NE 23 was significantly lower than that of the cases showing the reverse findings. As a conclusion, it is suggested that the investigation of the DNA ploidy, PCNA, laminin, p53 and nm23 might be useful as a parameter of biological behavior for gastric cancer and the prognosis of gastrectomized patients.