The cooperative role of p27 with cyclin E in the prognosis of advanced gastric carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Cyclin E and p27 play opposing roles in the cell cycle. This st udy investigated the protein expression of p27 with cyclin E in the progres sion and prognosis of gastric carcinoma. METHODS. Of 241 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma, 38 had muscular l ayer invasion, 113 had subserosal layer invasion, and 90 had serosal invasi on. Anti-p27 and cyclin E antibodies were used for immunohistochemical stai ning. RESULTS. Positive expression of p27 and cyclin E was 32.4% and 38.2%, respe ctively. Both p27 and cyclin E expression were related to histology of tumo rs but not to depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, or stage grouping. A positive correlation was observed between p27 and cyclin E expression (P < 0.05). Tumors were divided into two groups according to the expression of cyclin E. Within the cyclin E positive tumors, the five-year survival rate was higher in patients with a p27 positive tumor than in those with a p27 negative tumor (P < 0.05). Patients with cyclin E positive tumors showing l ow expression of p27 had a poor prognosis. In cyclin E negative group tumor s, no significant differences were observed irrespective of p27 expression. CONCLUSIONS. Reduced p27 expression is a negative prognostic factor for pat ients with cyclin E positive tumors. (C) 2000 American Cancer Society.