APOPTOSIS AND PROLIFERATION IN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA - THE ASSOCIATION WITH HISTOLOGICAL TYPE

We examined apoptosis in 33 gastric carcinomas using the terminal deox ynucleotydil transferase mediated dUTP-digoxigenin nick end labelling technique (TUNEL). Of the tumours, nine were well-differentiated 13 mo derately differentiated and 11 poorly differentiated. In addition, we also analysed MIB-1, a cell proliferation antigen. Morphologically, ap optotic tumour cells were more frequently observed in well-differentia ted tumours, In addition, apoptotic signals of the TUNEL method were s een even in the nuclei of tumour cells which did not show apoptosis. T he nick end labelling index was 51.0 +/- 26.3 in the well-differentiat ed and moderately differentiated tumours and 28.0 +/- 18.8 in poorly d ifferentiated tumours. The mean of apoptotic body index and nick end l abelling index were both significantly higher in well-differentiated a nd moderately differentiated tumours than in the poorly differentiated type (P < 0.0001, P=0.008), The MIB-1 labelling index and higher in p oorly differentiated tumours than in the well-differentiated or modera tely differentiated tumours, and labelled cells were more numerous in the superficial region than in the middle and deep regions of tumours, No apparent correlation was found between the nick end labelling inde x and the MIB-1 labelling index, The high number of apoptotic cells (t he high Nick end labelling index) and low proliferation potentiality ( the low MIB-1 labelling index) in well-differentiated gastric carcinom as may thus be related to their natural tendency to demonstrate slow g rowth.