CDw75 antigen expression in human gastric carcinoma and adjacent mucosa.

BACKGROUND

The amount of sialic acid correlates with the invasiveness and metastasizing potential of several human tumors. The CDw75 epitope is a sialylated carbohydrate determinant generated by the beta-galactosyl alpha 2,6-sialyltransferase, which can be viewed as a target for identifying biologically aggressive tumors.

METHODS

The authors performed an immunohistochemical study of CDw75 epitope expression in 87 cases of gastric carcinoma and adjacent mucosa and 331 metastases (329 lymph node metastases and 2 liver metastases) with the monoclonal antibody HH2.

RESULTS

Normal-appearing mucosa, foci of intestinal metaplasia, and foveolar hyperplasia, adjacent to the carcinomas, were mainly nonimmunoreactive. Only a few parietal cells of the body mucosa were stained with HH2. Two of 12 cases with dysplasia showed CDw75 antigen expression in dysplastic glands. Forty-one cases (47.1%) were immunoreactive for CDw75 antigen in the primary tumors or metastases. A very close relationship was found between the expression of the antigen in primary tumors and their respective metastases. The expression of the antigen was correlated with an infiltrative growth pattern, lymphatic invasiveness, and aneuploidy. All but two immunoreactive cases had lymph node metastases or lymphatic permeation. No relationship was found between CDw75 antigen expression and the morphologic types of gastric carcinoma, amount of lymphoid infiltrate, vascular invasion, and penetration of the gastric wall.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors conclude that CDw75 antigen expression can be used as a marker of malignant transformation of gastric epithelium and is a good indicator of the biologic aggressiveness of gastric carcinoma.