Korean J Gastroenterol.  2007 Mar;49(3):152-157.

Expression of c-erbB-2 and c-met Proteins in Gastric Adenoma and Adenocarcinoma

• Lee SW
• Kang SB
• Kim YS
• Nam SW
• Lee DS
• Lee HK
• Han SW

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS
The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical overexpression of c-erbB-2 and c-met proteins according to the histopathological parameters such as grade of dysplasia, histological type, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in gastric adenoma and gastric adenocarcinoma.
METHODS
Immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal c-erbB-2 and c-met antibodies was performed on paraffin embedded specimens in 43 adenomas and 44 adenocarcinomas.
RESULTS
The expression rate of c-erbB-2 was higher in adenomas (91%) than adenocarcinomas (30%). The expression rate of c-met was higher in adenocarcinomas (77%) than adenomas (49%). In adenoma, the expression rate of c-met was higher in high grade dysplasia (94%) than in low grade dysplasia (22%). In adenocarcinoma, c-met expression was significantly related with lymph node metastasis.
CONCLUSIONS
c-erbB-2 would be involved in the development of relatively early stage gastric carcinogenesis. c-erbB-2 is related with histologic type and c-met with lymph node metastasis in gastric carcinomas. Although meaning for the experession of these proteins in gastric carcinomas would be different, these proteins may play as important oncogenes in gastric carcinogenesis.

Keyword

c-erbB-2; c-met; Adenoma, Gastric; Adenocarcinoma, Gastric

MeSH Terms

Adenocarcinoma/*metabolism/pathology
Adenoma/*metabolism/pathology
Aged
Antibodies, Monoclonal
Disease Progression
Female
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Lymphatic Metastasis
Male
Middle Aged
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met/immunology/*metabolism
Receptor, erbB-2/immunology/*metabolism
Stomach Neoplasms/*metabolism/pathology
Tumor Markers, Biological