Abstract B36: Expression of growth and cell proliferation factors in gastric carcinomas: The association with poor overall survival on patients with intestinal type.

Abstract

Abstract Background: Gastric carcinomas (GC) express a variety of growth factors and cell proliferation acting in the mechanisms of tumor invasion and spread. The expression of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been demonstrated in diffuse type GC, whereas expression of growth factors is associated with intestinal-type carcinomas. Objective: To study the immunohistochemical expression of proteins associated with growth factors and cell proliferation in GC. Methods: We studied 400 GC, arranged in duplicates in 2 blocks of tissue microarray (TMA). Immunohistochemistry was performed using antibodies: c-MET (Novocastra), TGFbetaI (Santa Cruz), TGFbetaII (Santa Cruz), c-erbB-2 (Dako) and VEGF (Santa Cruz). Cases were considered positive for TGFbetaI, TGFbetaII and VEGF when cytoplasmic staining was observed in more than 10% of tumor cells. Positive cases for c-met and c-erbB-2 were detected when strong staining on the membrane cells was observed in more than 10% of neoplastic cells. Results: Expression of TGFbetaI, TGFbetaII and VEGF were detected in 314/385 (81%), 370/382 (96%) and 333/366 (90%) of GC. 333/376 (88%) cases were positive for c-met and 54/385 (14%) for c-erbB-2. Intestinal type carcinomas were more often positive for TGFbetaII (p = 0.01), VEGF (p = 0.001), c-met (p = 0.01), and c-erbB-2 (p = 0.001). According to univariate statistical analyzes expressions of TGFbeta II, c-met and c-erbB-2 were independent factors associated with overall survival of patients with GC. Conclusions: The proteins associated with growth factors and cell proliferations are differentially expressed in intestinal type of GC. Our findings pointed them out as biological factors associated with worse prognosis and important therapeutic targets. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):B36. Citation Format: Maria D. Begnami, Clovis AL Pinto, Sueli Nonogaki, Fernando Soares, Luiz GCA Lima. Expression of growth and cell proliferation factors in gastric carcinomas: The association with poor overall survival on patients with intestinal type. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2013 Oct 19-23; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2013;12(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B36.