Clin Endosc.  2019 Sep;52(5):464-471. 10.5946/ce.2018.181.

Immunohistochemical Expression of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers in Early Gastric Cancer: Cancer Tissue versus Noncancer Tissue

• Jung HJ
• Hong SJ
• Kim SH

• KMID: 2464668
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5946/ce.2018.181

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a developmental process, wherein the epithelial cells show reduced intercellular adhesions and acquire migratory fibroblastic properties. EMT is associated with downregulation in epithelial marker expression, abnormal translocation of E-cadherin, and upregulation in mesenchymal marker expression. Here, we investigated the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of EMT markers in early gastric cancer (EGC) between cancer and noncancer tissues.
METHODS
Tissue samples were prospectively obtained from 19 patients with EGC that underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). We compared the expression level of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and vimentin between cancer and noncancer tissues using IHC. Among the 19 patients, 15 patients had follow-up biopsy at 3 months after ESD for EGC.
RESULTS
Cancer tissues presented higher values of EMT mesenchymal markers (α-SMA/vimentin/TGF-β/VEGF) than the noncancerous tissues (p<0.05) that were significantly low after ESD (p<0.05). No significant correlation was reported for tumor location and initial Helicobacter pylori infection.
CONCLUSIONS
The mesenchymal expression of EMT markers was higher in the cancerous tissues than in the noncancer tissues.

Keyword

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition; Immunohistochemistry; Early gastric cancer; Endoscopic submucosal dissection

MeSH Terms

Actins
Biopsy
Cadherins
Down-Regulation
Epithelial Cells
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition*
Fibroblasts
Follow-Up Studies
Helicobacter pylori
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Prospective Studies
Stomach Neoplasms*
Transforming Growth Factors
Up-Regulation
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vimentin
Actins
Cadherins
Transforming Growth Factors
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Vimentin

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Flow chart of study design. α-SMA, α-smooth muscle actin; EGC, early gastric cancer; ESD, endoscopic submucosal dissection; F/U, follow-up; IHC, immunohistochemical; TGF-β, transforming growth factor-β; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor.

• 

  Fig. 2. Immunohistochemical staining of noncancer tissue and cancer tissue. Representative expression of proteins studied by immunohistochemistry (original magnification ×200). This figure shows noncancer tissue and cancer tissues. (A, B) transforming growth factor-β, (C, D) VEGF, (E, F) E-cadherin, (G, H) α-smooth muscle actin, and (I, J) vimentin.

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