Y. Yonemura et al., CORRELATION OF PERITONEAL DISSEMINATION AND INTEGRIN ALPHA-3 EXPRESSION IN GASTRIC-CANCER, Oncology Reports, 4(3), 1997, pp. 549-555
To clarify the interrelationship between alpha 3 integrin, subunit/E-c
adherin expression and peritoneal dissemination in gastric cancer, alp
ha 3 integrin subunit and E-cadherin expression gas were immunohistoch
emically examined and were correlated with clinicopathologic parameter
s. Among 150 primary gastric cancers, alpha 3 integrin subunit and E-c
adherin were strongly expressed in 96 (65%) and 88 (59%) tumors, respe
ctively. Integrin alpha 3 expression was closely associated with perit
oneal dissemiantion, but there was no relationship between integrin al
pha 3 expression and histologic type, nodal status, macroscopic type o
r wall invasion. Furthermore, 22 (84%) of 26 tumors which recurred in
peritoneum overexpressed integrin alpha 3 expression in primary tumors
. All seven peritoneal foci obtained from peritoneal dissemination exp
ressed integrin alpha 3 expression despite no integrin alpha 3 express
ion in two of these 7 primary tumors. Reduced E-cadherin expression in
primary tumors was intimately associated with large tumor size (>6 cm
), nodal involvement, peritoneal dissemination and positive serosal in
vasion. Peritoneal dissemination was most frequently found in the tumo
rs with positive integrin alpha 3 expression and reduced E-cadherin ex
pression. Patients with these type of tumor [E-cadherin expression (-)
, and integrin alpha 3 subunit (+)] showed the poorest prognosis as co
mpared with the other groups of patients. These results indicate that
upregulation of integrin alpha 3 expression and down regulation of E-c
adherin might have an important role in the formation of peritoneal di
ssemination. These tumors have characteristics of easy detachment from
the serosal surface via downregulation of E-cadherin and strong adhes
ion capacity to the peritoneum via up-regulation of integrin alpha 3 e
xpression. The immunohisto-chemical combination analysis of E-cadherin
and integrin alpha 3 expression on the primary gastric cancer may be
a good screening method to predict peritoneal recurrence.