INTERRELATION BETWEEN TUMOR-ASSOCIATED CELL-SURFACE GLYCOPROTEIN AND HOST IMMUNE-RESPONSE IN GASTRIC-CARCINOMA PATIENTS

BACKGROUND, Expression of changes in cell surface glycoprotein may cor relate with the malignant potential and development of gastric carcino ma. Immunologic defense mechanisms of the host against the tumor can b e effective in preventing the development of gastric carcinoma. The au thors studied the effects of immunologic defense of the host against t he tumor, using infiltration of S-100 protein positive dendritic cells (DC) as a marker. In cases with or without changes in the surface gly coprotein of tumor cells, determinations were made by binding of Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA). METHODS, Paraffin blocks of 123 gastric car cinoma specimens were prepared for immunohistochemical staining with t he antibody against HPA and S-100 protein. Clinicopathologic factors a nd patient prognosis were examined for each indicator. RESULTS, Patien ts with HPA positive tumors had a more aggressive character in several important prognostic aspects and poorer 5-year survival rates compare d with patients with HPA negative tumors. The degree of infiltration o f DC had no particular correlation with pathologic factors, and there was no significant difference between the prognosis of patients with s light and marked DC infiltration. In the HPA negative patients there w as no significant difference in the ii-year survival rates between pat ients with slight and marked DC infiltration; however, in the HPA posi tive patients the 5-year survival rates of patients with marked infilt ration of DC were higher. Further investigation showed that patients w ith marked DC infiltration had better 5-year survival rates than patie nts with slight DC infiltration, especially in patients with HPA posit ive and histologically advanced disease. CONCLUSIONS. Patients with a higher immunologic defense against cancer cells, as indicated by marke d infiltration of DC, had a better prognosis in cases of gastric carci nomas of highly malignant potential, as indicated by a positive (C) 19 98 American Cancer Society.