Expression and significance of CD44s, CD44v6, and nm23 mRNA in human cancer.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of nm23 mRNA, CD44s, and CD44v6, and oncogenesis, development and metastasis of human gastric adenocarcinoma, colorectal adenocarcinoma, intraductal carcinoma of breast, and lung cancer. METHODS: Using tissue microarray by immuhistochemical (IHC) staining and in situ hybridization (ISH), we examined the expression levels of nm23 mRNA, CD44s, and CD44v6 in 62 specimens of human gastric adenocarcinoma and 62 specimens of colorectal adenocarcinoma; the expression of CD44s and CD44v6 in 120 specimens of intraductal carcinoma of breast and 20 specimens of normal breast tissue; the expression of nm23 mRNA in 72 specimens of human lung cancer and 23 specimens of normal tissue adjacent to cancer. RESULTS: The expression of nm23 mRNA in the tissues of gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma was not significantly different from that in the normal tissues adjacent to cancer (P>0.05), and was not associated with the invasion of tumor and the pathology grade of adenocarcinoma (P>0.05). However, the expression of nm23 mRNA was correlated negatively to the lymph node metastasis of gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma (r = -0.49, P<0.01; r = -4.93, P<0.01). The expression of CD44s in the tissues of gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma was significantly different from that in the normal tissues adjacent to cancer (P<0.05; P<0.01). CD44v6 was expressed in the tissues of gastric and colorectal adenocarcinoma only, the expression of CD44v6 was significantly associated with the lymph node metastasis, invasion and pathological grade of the tumor (r = 0.47, P<0.01; r = 5.04, P<0.01). CD44s and CD44v6 were expressed in intraductal carcinoma of breast, the expression of CD44s and CD44v6 was significantly associated with lymph node metastases and invasion (P<0.01). However, neither of them was expressed in the normal breast tissue. In addition, the expression of CD44v6 was closely related to the degree of cell differentiation of intraductal carcinoma of breast (c2 = 5.68, P<0.05). The expressional level of nm23 mRNA was closely related to the degree of cell differentiation (P<0.05) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.01), but the expression of nm23 gene was not related to sex, age, and type of histological classification (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Patients with overexpression of CD44s and CD44v6 and low expression of nm23 mRNA have a higher lymph node metastatic rate and invasion. In addition, overexpression of CD44v6 is closely related to the degree of cell differentiation. Detection of the three genes is able to provide a reliable index to evaluate the invasion and metastasis of tumor cells.

Clinicopathologic study of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma in gastroscopic biopsy.

AIM: To explore and discuss the clinicopathologic characteristics of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma in gastroscopic biopsy specimen. METHODS: A retrospective study of 26 cases of lymphoma diagnosed by gastroscopic biopsy during 1999 to 2001 from gastroscopy files of Xijing Hospital was made. The diagnostic criteria were adopted according to the new classification of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. RESULTS: Twenty-six cases of primary gastric lymphoma consisting of 15 men and 11 women, aged between 23 to 76 years were recruited from 6 225 cases who received gastroscopy. All of them were diagnosed by both endoscopic findings and histological examinations. Histologically, 23 cases were MALToma (low grade) and 3 cases lymphoblastic lymphoma (high grade). Immunohistochemically, all cases were CD20 positive, while CK and EMA were negative. CONCLUSION: The majority of the cases of primary low-grade gastric lymphoma have morphologic and clinical features that justify their inclusion in the category of low-grade lymphoma of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue.

[Effect of local application of basic fibroblast growth factor and sucralfate on skin tissue structure after expansion].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of local application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and sucralfate on the skin tissue structure after expansion. METHODS: Continuous tissue expansion (CTE) experimental animal model was made with constant pressure pump in nine white pigs. The bFGF and sucralfate were perfused between tissue and tissue expander. Both bFGF and sucralfate were injected in group I, both bFGF and normal saline in group II, only sucralfate in group III, and normal saline in group IV as control group. The samples were took from each pig for histomorphological assessment on the 3rd day and 6th week after expansion. RESULTS: Compared with control group, epidermal, granular spinous and basal cell thickness increased significantly (P < 0.05) in group I; in dermal layer, dermal thickened slightly and the collagen fibers became thicker and orderly; the elastic fiber regenerated significantly; the density of fibroblasts and capillaries significantly increased (P < 0.05) in group I. The collagen fibers were broken on the 3rd day and 6th week after expansion in control group. However, the thickness of the fibrous capsule layer was similar in each group. CONCLUSION: Local application of exogenous bFGF and sucralfate combined with CTE can greatly promote the skin growth. It can accelerate the tissue expansion.