Annexin II overexpression is correlated with poor prognosis in human gastric carcinoma

Annexins belong to a family of the calcium-dependent phospholipid binding p roteins. They are also substrates of receptor tyrosine kinases. Overexpress ion of Annexin II, which has been reported in various carcinomas, is though t to be associated with cell proliferation, differentiation and cell-cell a dhesion in the pathogenesis of carcinoma, but the functions of Annexins hav e not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the role of Ann exin II (p36) and its relationship with c-erbB-2 overexpression in gastric carcinoma. We studied Annexin II expression using Western blot analysis in 8 human gastric carcinoma cell lines and expression of Annexin II and c-erb B-2 using, immunohistochemistry in 153 primary gastric carcinomas. Western blot revealed that Annexin II was expressed in 8 human gastric carcinoma ce ll lines. It was more strongly expressed in the cell membrane than in the c ytoplasm of rumor cells in primary gastric carcinoma tissues. Thirty-three percent of all cases were immunopositive for Annexin II, overexpression of which was more frequent in differentiated type (p=0.0009), lymph node, meta stasis (p=0.0147) and venous invasion (p=0.0092). Annexin II and c-erbB-2 o verexpression were significantly correlated (p=0.0002) and patients with An nexin II had poorer prognoses (p=0.0066). Multivariate analysis showed that immunopositivity of both Annexin II and c-erbB-2 was an independent and po or prognostic factor (p=0.0037). In conclusion, Annexin II was overexpresse d in advanced gastric carcinomas and it could contribute to the progression of gastric carcinoma.