RESUMEN
AIM: To investigate the changes of histology and expression of MMP-2 and nm23-H1 in primary and metastatic gastric cancer. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-seven gastric cancer patients with lymph node and/or distal metastasis between 1997 and 2001 were reviewed. Differences in histology of the primary and metastatic gastric cancer were assessed. MMP-2 and nm23-H1 immunoreactivity was compared in 44 patients with tumor infiltration to the serosa layer. RESULTS: Poorly and moderately differentiated metastatic gastric cancer was found in 88.7% (157/177) and primary gastric cancer in 75.7% (134/177) of the patients. The histological type of metastatic gastric cancer that was not completely in accordance with the preponderant histology of primary gastric cancer was observed in 25 patients (14.1%). MMP-2 immunoreactivity in metastatic gastric cancer was significantly stronger than that in primary gastric cancer, while nm23-H1 immunoreactivity showed no difference in primary and metastatic gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Metastatic gastric cancer presents more aggressive histological morphology and higher MMP-2 immunoreactivity than primary gastric cancer. This heterogeneity may elicit a possible mechanism of gastric cancer metastasis.
Asunto(s)
Adenocarcinoma/enzimología , Adenocarcinoma/patología , Metaloproteinasa 2 de la Matriz/metabolismo , Nucleósido Difosfato Quinasas NM23/metabolismo , Neoplasias Gástricas/enzimología , Neoplasias Gástricas/patología , Adulto , Anciano , Biomarcadores de Tumor/metabolismo , Progresión de la Enfermedad , Femenino , Regulación Neoplásica de la Expresión Génica , Humanos , Metástasis Linfática , Masculino , Metaloproteinasa 2 de la Matriz/genética , Persona de Mediana Edad , Nucleósido Difosfato Quinasas NM23/genética , Invasividad Neoplásica , Estudios RetrospectivosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To directly compare the quality of harmonic imaging (HI) and fundamental imaging (FI) in fetal echocardiography and to determine any differences in image quality between the two modalities. METHODS: Fetal echocardiograms were performed with the use of FI and HI in 58 fetuses, image quality and visualization of left and right atria, left and right ventricles, mitral and tricuspid valves, aortic and pulmonary valves, left and right ventricular outflow tracts were evaluated and compared between FI and HI. RESULTS: Mean HI scores were higher than mean FI scores (2.73 +/- 0.43 vs 2.16 +/- 0.69, P < 0.001) for all the cardiovascular structures evaluated. Compared with FI, HI improved the image quality and visualization of fetal cardiac structures in subjects with both good (2.73 +/- 0.43 vs 2.88 +/- 0.32, P < 0.001) and suboptimal (1. 65 +/- 0.41 vs 2.58 +/- 0.47, P < 0.001) echocardiographic windows. The interobserver correlation coefficient for the grading scores was 0.74 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: harmonic imaging enhances and improves the image quality of fetal echocardiography; and has important potential role in cardiac imaging in the fetus.