J Korean Gastric Cancer Assoc.  2006 Mar;6(1):25-30.

Expression Pattern of EphB2 in Gastric Cancer

• Song JH
• Kim CJ
• Cho YG
• Park CH
• Nam SW
• Yoo NJ
• Lee JY
• Park WS

Abstract

PURPOSE: The EphB2 receptor, a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family, is a target gene of the Wnt signaling pathway and may achieve a tumor suppressor function through regulation of cell growth and migration. Our aim was to determine whether an altered expression of EphB2 might be associated with gastric cancer development and, if so, to determine to which pathologic parameter it is linked.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
For the construction of the gastric cancer tissue microarray, 83 paraffin-embedded tissues containing gastric cancer areas were cored 3 times and transferred to the recipient master block. The expression patterns of EphB2 were examined on tissue microarray slides by using immunohistochemistry and were compared using pathologic parameters, including histological type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastatsis, and peritoneal dissemination.
RESULTS
The EphB2 protein was expressed in the normal gastric mucosal epithelium, especially in the bottom of the mucosa. We found loss of EphB2 expression in 30 (36.1%) of the 83 gastric cancer tissues. Statistically, loss of EphB2 expression was more common in gastric cancer with lymph-node metastasis. There was no significant correlation between EphB2 expression and depth of invasion, histologic type, or peritoneal dissemination.
CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that loss of EphB2 expression may represent a critical step in gastric carcinogenesis.

Keyword

Eph; Tumor suppressor gene; Tyrosine kinase receptor; Immunohistochemistry; Gastric cancer

MeSH Terms

Carcinogenesis
Epithelium
Genes, Tumor Suppressor
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymph Nodes
Mucous Membrane
Neoplasm Metastasis
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Receptor, EphB2
Stomach Neoplasms*
Wnt Signaling Pathway
Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
Receptor, EphB2