THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NM23 PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN HUMAN GASTRIC CARCINOMAS

The clinical significance of nm23 protein (nm23) expression was studie d in tissue samples from 110 patients with primary gastric cancer by i mmunohistochemical staining with the anti-nm23 antibody. Primary carci nomas with either lymph node involvement or liver metastasis expressed significantly reduced levels of nm23 compared to those without metast asis. This relationship was clearer in the more differentiated adenoca rcinomas than in the poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas, However, t here was no correlation between nm23 expression and depth of invasion, quantity of stroma, infiltrating growth pattern, or macroscopic type, The cumulative 5-year survival rates based on nm23 immunoreactivity w ithin the primary tumor were significantly higher in the nonreduced ex pression group (72%) than in the reduced expression group (45%), A mul tivariate analysis revealed that nm23 expression levels influence the outcome of patients as strongly as depth of invasion and more strongly than the other clinicopathological factors, These results suggest tha t the degree of nm23 expression is closely related to the metastatic p otential of gastric carcinoma cells and ran be used as a prognostic in dicator independent of the clinicopathological features.