Surgical Resection Samples Research Articles

The miR-196b miRNA inhibits the GATA6 intestinal transcription factor and is upregulated in colon cancer patients.

ObjectiveTo explore the possible misexpression of the microRNA miR-196b in colorectal cancer (CRC) and its role in controlling the expression of GATA6, a putative target gene crucial to intestinal cell homeostasis and tumorigenesis.DesignThe expression of miR-196b was analysed by qRT-PCR in surgical resection samples from a cohort of sporadic colon cancer patients. Manipulations of miR-196b expression were performed to demonstrate its inhibition of GATA6 protein levels.ResultsWe found that miR-196b is significantly upregulated in pre-treatment surgical resection samples from a cohort of sporadic colon cancer patients. The upregulation of miR-196b correlates with less severe clinicopathological characteristics, such as early tumor stage and absence of lymph node metastases. We show that in CRC cells, miR-196b targets the mRNA of GATA6, a transcription factor involved in the homeostasis and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells, and a positive regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. We moreover found that the increase of miR-196b correlates with a reduced GATA6 protein expression in colon cancer patients.ConclusionOur results establish miR-196b as a post-transcriptional inhibitor of GATA6 in CRC cells, implicating miR-196b function in gene regulatory pathways crucial to intestinal cell homeostasis and tumorigenesis. Our results furthermore suggest a role of miR-196b expression in CRC, as an antagonist of GATA6 function in tumor cells, thus providing the basis for a potential targeting strategy for the treatment of CRC.

Differential protein abundance of a basolateral MCT1 transporter in the human gastrointestinal tract.

Bacterially derived short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), such as butyrate, are vital in maintaining the symbiotic relationship that exists between humans and their gastrointestinal microbial populations. A key step in this process is the transport of SCFAs across colonic epithelial cells via MCT1 transporters. This study investigated MCT1 protein abundance in various human intestinal tissues. Initial RT-PCR analysis confirmed the expected MCT1 RNA expression pattern of colon > small intestine > stomach. Using surgical resection samples, immunoblot analysis detected higher abundance of a 45 kDa MCT1 protein in colonic tissue compared to ileum tissue (P < 0.001, N = 4, unpaired t-test). Importantly, MCT1 abundance was found to be significantly lower in sigmoid colon compared to ascending colon (P < 0.01, N = 8-11, ANOVA). Finally, immunolocalization studies confirmed MCT1 to be abundant in the basolateral membranes of surface epithelial cells of the ascending, transverse, and descending colon, but significantly less prevalent in the sigmoid colon (P < 0.05, N = 5-21, ANOVA). In conclusion, these data confirm that basolateral MCT1 protein abundance is correlated to levels of bacterially derived SCFAs along the human gastrointestinal tract. These findings highlight the importance of precise tissue location in studies comparing colonic MCT1 abundance between normal and diseased states.

Circulating tumor DNA detection in lung cancer patients before and after surgery.

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in peripheral blood is a “liquid biopsy” that contains representative tumor information including gene mutations. Additionally, repeated ctDNA samples can be easily obtained to monitor response to treatment and disease progression, which may be especially valuable to lung cancer patients with tumors that cannot be easily biopsied or removed. To investigate the changes in ctDNA after surgical tumor resection, tumor and blood samples obtained before and after surgery were collected prospectively from 41 non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Somatic driver mutations in tumor DNA (tDNA) and pre- and post-op plasma ctDNA sample pairs were identified by targeted sequencing in several genes including EGFR, KRAS, and TP53 with an overall study concordance of 78.1% and sensitivity and specificity of 69.2% and 93.3%, respectively. Importantly, the frequency of 91.7% of ctDNA mutations decreased after surgery and these changes were observed as little as 2 days post-op. Moreover, the presence of ctDNA had a higher positive predictive value than that of six tumor biomarkers in current clinical use. This study demonstrates the use of targeted sequencing to reliably identify ctDNA changes in response to treatment, indicating a potential utility of this approach in the clinical management of NSCLC.

Evaluation of the degree of pancreatic fatty infiltration by area-based assessment of CT images: comparison with histopathology-based and CT attenuation index-based assessments.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the degree of fatty infiltration (FI) of the pancreas using area-based assessment on computed tomography (CT) (CT area-based assessment) in its correlation and agreement/concordance with histopathology-based assessment. Furthermore, we examined whether CT area-based assessment was better than CT attenuation index-based assessment. We retrospectively evaluated the degree of FI of the pancreas in 37 pancreatic cancer patients who had undergone preoperative CT and pancreaticoduodenectomy. The degree of FI of the pancreas was examined by histopathology-based assessment using surgical resection samples, and CT area-based and CT attenuation index-based assessments. Mean values of pancreatic FI measured by area-based assessment on unenhanced CT and by histopathology-based assessments were 14.4±23.2% (range 0-77.7%) and 16.2±17.4% (range 0.2-60.2%), respectively. Area-based assessment on unenhanced CT showed higher correlation and concordance with histopathology-based assessment, demonstrating a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.78 (P<0.0001) and a Kendall's tau-b coefficient of 0.69 (P<0.0001). For CT attenuation index-based assessment, the corresponding values were -0.66 (P<0.0001) and -0.39 (P=0.008), respectively. To order/categorize subjects according to the degree of FI of the pancreas, CT area-based assessment is suggested to be better than CT attenuation index-based assessment.

Recurrences in stage II rectal carcinoma after curative resection alone: from the viewpoint of angiogenesis.

BackgroundAngiogenesis plays a pivotal role in malignant tumor progression. The count of blood microvessels of the tumor has been recognized as an indicator of malignant potential of the tumors and provides the ability to predict tumors recurrence. The role endoglin in the Dukes B rectal cancer is still unexplored. The aims of this study were to examine immunohistochemical expression of endoglin in resected rectal cancer and investigate the relationship of tumor recurrence and other clinicopathological variables to the endoglin-assessed microvessel density of the tumor tissue and distal resection margins.MethodsThe study included 95 primary rectal adenocarcinomas, corresponding to 95 distal and 95 proximal resection margin specimens from surgical resection samples. Tumor specimens were paraffin embedded, and immunohistochemical staining for the CD105 endothelial antigen was performed to count CD105-MVD. For exact measurement of the CD105-MVD used, a computer-integrated system Alphelys Spot Browser 2 was used.ResultsThe MVD was significantly higher in the tumor samples compared with the distal resection margins (p < 0.0001) and the proximal resection margins (p < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the MVD between distal and proximal resection margins (p = 0.147). The type of surgical resection was a significant factor for determining the recurrence of tumors (p = 0.0104). There was no significant effect of patients’ age, gender, tumor location, grade of differentiation, histological tumor type, and the size and depth of tumor invasion on the recurrence of the tumor. The recurrence rate was significantly higher in the low CD105-MVD group of patients than in the high CD105-MVD group of patients (log rank test, p = 0.0406). Result of the multivariate analysis showed that the type of surgery (p = 0.0086), MVD tumors (p = 0.0385), and MVD of proximal resection margin (p = 0.0218) were the independent prognostic factors for the recurrent tumors.ConclusionsCD105-assessed MVD could help to identify patients with more aggressive disease and increased risk of developing tumor recurrence after surgical treatment in stage II rectal cancer (RC).

Reliability of fine-needle aspiration and ultrasound-based characteristics of thyroid nodules for diagnosing malignancy in Iranian patients.

Sonography and fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA-B) have been approved as method of choice in diagnosis of malignant thyroid nodules. Unnecessary FNA-B not only is invasive and costly but also results in second biopsy or unnecessary surgery. So we aimed to determine the specificity and sensitivity of sonography and FNA-B, without sonography guidance, in diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid nodules. Patients with thyroid nodule referred to Baqiyatallah Hospital in 2014-2015 and candidates for surgical nodule resection were selected using simple random sampling method. Patients were evaluated by sonography and FNA. Sonographic characteristics of nodule were described. All patients underwent surgical resection and gross samples were sent for pathological evaluation, the gold standard for measuring the specificity and sensitivity of sonographic findings and FNA in diagnosis of malignant nodules. Ninety patients with the mean age of 45.95 ± 12.3 years were evaluated (17 male and 73 female). Comparing the patients with correct and incorrect sonography-based diagnosis showed significant differences in nodule's width, area, calcification, border, and cervical lymphadenopathy (P < 0.05). Comparing the patients with correct and incorrect FNA-based diagnosis showed significant differences in patients' age and tall-shape nodule (P < 0.05). The diagnosis of sonographist had 56.25% sensitivity and 95.9% specificity, and the FNA-based diagnosis had 81.25% sensitivity and 93.7% specificity. Among sonography findings, width and area of nodule, calcification, and nodule border have significant effect on malignancy diagnosis. Also FNA is necessary in nodules with calcification, border irregularity, and less width and area, especially in younger patients.

Study of the expression of cathepsins in histological material from pancreatic lesions.

To assess the expression levels of cathepsins in malignant and premalignant lesions. We retrospectively included patients who underwent pancreatic surgery on pancreatic solid or cystic masses. The expression of cathepsin H, L, B and S was determined in both types of samples. Lesions were divided into three categories: malignant (pancreatic adenocarcinoma and malignant mucinous neoplasms), premalignant (mucinous neoplasms) and benign (other lesions). Thirty-one surgical resection samples were studied. The expression of cathepsins was significantly higher in malignant lesions than in premalignant and benign lesions (H 75%, 27%, 37% p = 0.05; L 92%, 36%, 37% p = 0.011; B 83%, 36%, 62% p = 0.069; S 92%, 36%, 25% p = 0.004, respectively). Cathepsins are overexpressed in histological samples of malignant lesions compared to premalignant and benign lesions. However, the expression of cathepsins is similar in both premalignant and benign lesions.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression in rectal cancer and its clinical implication

To investigate the consistence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) expression in resection samples and biopsy samples from rectal cancer and its clinical implication. Clinical data and tissue samples of 544 rectal cancer patients who received surgical resection at Peking University Cancer Hospital from September 2009 to March 2012 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Immunohistochemical method was used to test HER-2 expression in both surgical resection samples and preoperative biopsy samples. Suspect positive samples with HER-2 (++) were further examined by FISH. Consistence of HER-2 expression between resection samples and biopsy samples, and between resection samples from those patients undergoing neoadjuvant radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy and biopsy samples was analyzed. Association between HER-2 expression and clinicopathological characteristics was examined as well. Among 544 surgical resection samples, positive HER-2 samples of 20 cases (3.7%) were identified either by immunohistochemistry (HER-2, +++) or by FISH amplification. Among 235 paired biopsy samples, positive HER-2 samples of 5 cases (2.1%) were identified. Consistence of HER-2 expression between these two samples was 99.6% (234/235). The kappa value of consistence test was 0.907 (P<0.01). Consistence between resection samples from patients receiving neoadjuvant therapy and biopsy samples was 98.6% (73/74). There was no association of HER-2 over-expression or amplification with gender, age, tumor differentiation grade, lymph-node metastasis, distant metastasis, TNM stage and overall survival. Positive rate of HER-2 expression is quite low in rectal cancer and has no relation to clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. HER-2 status in biopsy samples of rectal cancer is highly consistent with paired surgical resection samples, which is not affected by neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy.

Detection of ROS1 fusion gene in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and its clinicopathologic features

To detect the presence of ROS1 fusion gene in pulmonary adenocarcinoma and its clinicopathologic parameters. Fluorescence RT-PCR was used to detect the presence of ROS1 fusion gene in 369 surgical resection samples of pulmonary adenocarcinoma with known EGFR mutation status. The presence of ROS1 fusion gene in correlation with clinicopathologic features was analyzed. Sixteen positive and 20 negative samples by RT-PCR were further confirmed by direct sequencing. ROS1 fusion gene was detected in 16 of 369 lung adenocarcinoma samples (4.3%). The presence of ROS1 fusion gene was not correlated to gender, age, smoking history, tumor site, size, histological subtype, tumor differentiation, T staging, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging and EGFR mutation (P > 0.05). The frequency of ROS1 fusion gene was similar in female and male patients, 4.4% (8/183) vs 4.3% (8/186), P > 0.05. The presence of ROS1 fusion gene in patients of ≤ 60 years of age was higher than that in patients of > 60 years, 5.1% (10/195) vs 3.4% (6/174), P > 0.05. The rate of ROS1 fusion gene of non-smokers was a slight higher than that of smokers, 4.4% (14/318) vs 3.9% (2/51), P > 0.05. Both positive and negative cases were confirmed by direct sequencing in all cases. ROS1 fusion gene occurs more frequently in younger and non-smoking patients of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, and may coexist with EGFR mutations. ROS1 fusion gene seems to define a distinct subset of pulmonary adenocarcinoma.

Clinical features and mutation status of EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, EML4-ALK and ROS1 between surgical resection samples and non surgical resection samples in lung cancer.

Target therapy is the first-line treatment in lung cancer. The testing of driver gene mutations is crucial for decision of treatment. Many lung cancer patients are in advanced grade, and lose the chance of operation. The tissue used to perform mutation testing is only from biopsy. In order to analysis the difference between surgical resection samples (SRSs) and non-surgical resection samples (NSRSs), 1,357 surgical tissues and 145 biopsy samples histopathologically diagnosed with lung cancer were collected to detect the mutation status of EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, EML4-ALK and ROS1 in this study. There were no significant differences of age, gender, and histological type between the two group patients we collected; however, the significant difference was present in grade. More early stage patients were in the surgical group, but more advanced stage lung cancer patients were in non surgical group. In the mutation analysis, we also found no significant differences in all driver genes we detected between the two groups. Both surgical resection samples and biopsy samples could be used to perform the testing the driver gene mutation.

Establishment and management of a lung cancer biobank in Eastern China.

BackgroundThe prevalence of lung cancer, a highly complex neoplasm, increases annually. Thus, a lung cancer biobank, which stores lung cancer tissue and blood matched according to standard methods, is needed to advance lung cancer research and develop promising therapies.MethodsTo accomplish this aim, we implemented standardized procedures for tissue samples and patient information acquired from consenting donors. The banked tissue includes blood, pleural effusions, and surgical resection samples. An independent information management system was used to match samples and collect data, including clinical cancer manifestation, laboratory tests, and de-identified data about cancer patients.ResultsFrom 2009 to 2013, more than 2000 lung cancer cases were collected. At this time, we have more than 10 000 biological samples stored in our biobank. DNA, ribonucleic acid (RNA), and protein quality were confirmed to be appropriate for clinical and basic research.ConclusionOur standardized, large-scale lung cancer biobank offers high quality cancer research samples for China and the world.

Prognostic Significance of Microvessel Density Determining by Endoglin in Stage II Rectal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Analysis.

Background. The role of endoglin in the Dukes B rectal cancer is still unexplored. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of endoglin (CD105) in resected rectal cancer and to evaluate the relationship between microvessels density (MVD), clinicopathological factors, and survival rates. Methods. The study included 95 primary rectal adenocarcinomas, corresponding to 67 adjacent and 73 distant normal mucosa specimens from surgical resection samples. Tumor specimens were paraffin-embedded and immunohistochemical staining for the CD105 endothelial antigen was performed to count CD105-MVD. For exact measurement of the CD105-MVD used a computer-integrated system Alphelys Spot Browser 2 was used. Results. The intratumoral CD105-MVD was significantly higher compared with corresponding adjacent mucosa (P < 0.0001) and distant mucosa specimens (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the CD105-MVD according to patients age, gender, tumor location, grade of differentiation, histological type, depth of tumor invasion, and tumor size. The overall survival rate was significantly higher in the low CD105-MVD group of patients than in the high CD105-MVD group of patients (log-rank test, P = 0.0406). Conclusion. CD105-assessed MVD could help to identify patients with possibility of poor survival in the group of stage II RC.

Enhancing automatic classification of hepatocellular carcinoma images through image masking, tissue changes and trabecular features

Background: Recent breakthroughs in computer vision and digital microscopy have prompted the application of such technologies in cancer diagnosis, especially in histopathological image analysis. Earlier, an attempt to classify hepatocellular carcinoma images based on nuclear and structural features has been carried out on a set of surgical resected samples. Here, we proposed methods to enhance the process and improve the classification performance. Methods: First, we segmented the histological components of the liver tissues and generated several masked images. By utilizing the masked images, some set of new features were introduced, producing three sets of features consisting nuclei, trabecular and tissue changes features. Furthermore, we extended the classification process by using biopsy resected samples in addition to the surgical samples. Results: Experiments by using support vector machine (SVM) classifier with combinations of features and sample types showed that the proposed methods improve the classification rate in HCC detection for about 1-3%. Moreover, detection rate of low-grades cancer increased when the new features were appended in the classification process, although the rate was worsen in the case of undifferentiated tumors. Conclusions: The masking process increased the reliability of extracted nuclei features. The additional of new features improved the system especially for early HCC detection. Likewise, the combination of surgical and biopsy samples as training data could also improve the classification rates. Therefore, the methods will extend the support for pathologists in the HCC diagnosis.

Surface profiles of live colorectal cancer cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes from surgical samples correspond to prognostic categories

Extensive surface profiles of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been obtained from 45 surgical resection samples. Live cells were captured on an antibody microarray and stained with fluorescently-labeled antibodies. Minimal panels of 11 CRC antigens (CD13, CD24, CD26, CD49d, CD138, CD166, CA-125, CA19-9, EGFR, Galectin-4 and HLA-DR) and 11 T-cell antigens (CD10, CD11b, CD11c, CD25, CD31, CD95, CD151, CD181, Galectin-4, CA19-9, TSP-1) provide signatures for relapse and survival. Hierarchical clustering of profiles from CRC cells and TIL identified groups of patients for survival, systemic relapse and death. The groups from CRC and TIL profiles for systemic relapse showed 79.2% concordance, enabling prediction of relapse after surgery. The results demonstrate communication between CRC cells and TIL.

In vivo effect of pregnancy on angiogenesis potential of arteriovenous malformation tissue samples: an experimental study.

Increased angiogenic potential of cerebrovascular malformations during pregnancy may help to explain the complications of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in this group of patients. This experimental study investigated the effect of pregnancy on angiogenic activity of implanted AVM tissue samples. A subject group of 10 pregnant rats and 10 non-pregnant rats as controls were used. Surgical AVM resection samples were implanted into the micropocket created in both eyes of each animal. Vascular development was assessed by vessel count throughout the study period. In addition, immunohistochemical studies were done for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet derived growth factor (PDGF), and their receptors (VEGFR, PDGFR). Statistically significant increase in the number of vessels was found in both groups (P<0.0001); however, the increase in the pregnant group was greater (P=0.0032). The difference between the two groups was evident at the 25th day of the experiment. Despite both groups showed increased level, there was no difference with the level of VEGF, VEGF receptor, PDGF, or PDGF receptor (P>0.05 for all comparisons). Findings of this study suggest that angiogenic activity of AVM tissues may increase during late pregnancy, hence physicians should inform pregnant patients with AVM of the potential risk.

Investigation of MCT1 transporter protein in the human gastrointestinal tract (897.1)

Bacterially‐derived short chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, are vital in maintaining the symbiotic relationship that exists between humans and their gastrointestinal microbial populations. A key step in this process is the uptake of butyrate into colonic epithelial cells, via MCT1 transporters, which regulates cell differentiation (Cuff et al., 2005). Although previously studied, the exact localisation of MCT1 protein along the human gastrointestinal tract remains controversial (Gill et al., 2006; Iwanaga et al., 2006). The aim of this study was therefore to re‐investigate MCT1 protein abundance in various human gastrointestinal tissues. Initial RT‐PCR analysis confirmed the expected MCT1 RNA expression pattern of colon &gt; small intestine &gt; stomach. Using surgical resection samples, Western analysis utilising the MCT12A antibody (Source Bioscience, UK) detected higher abundance of a 45 kDa MCT1 protein in colon compared to ileum (P&lt;0.05, N = 4, unpaired t‐test). Importantly, MCT1 abundance was found to be significantly higher in ascending and descending colon compared to sigmoid colon (P&lt;0.01, N = 11, ANOVA). In contrast, ileum samples obtained from ileostomy reversal surgeries showed a high MCT1 abundance, with no significant difference between proximal and distal ileum (NS, N = 7, paired t‐test). These data appear to confirm that MCT1 protein abundance is correlated to levels of bacterially‐derived short‐chain fatty acids along the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, they highlight the importance of precise tissue location in studies comparing colonic MCT1 abundance between normal and diseased states.Grant Funding Source: Supported by Science Foundation Ireland and the Kuwaiti government

Effect of VEGF, P53 and telomerase on angiogenesis of gastric carcinoma tissue

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), P53 and telomerase on angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma tissue. MethodsA total of 95 surgical resection samples of gastric cancer tissue after pathological diagnosis are collected to observe the VEGF, P53 and telomerase expression using immunohistochemical methods. Relationship between their expression and its influence on angiogenesis in gastric carcinoma tissue were analyzed. ResultsMicrovascular density (MVD) and the expression of VEGF, P53 and telomerase were positively correlated. Expression of VEGF and P53 protein were related to tumor type and lymph metastasis, and also a correlation was observed between P53 and VEGF. The telomerase expression had no correlation with VEGF, and P53. ConclusionsVEGF angiogenesis has a angiogenesis promoting effect on gastric cancer tissue development and plays an important role in tumor generation and metastasis. Mutant P53 promotes the tumor angiogenesis generation by adjusting VEGF. Telomerase has a certain role in promoting activity of angiogenesis through different way rather than P53.

Enhancing Automatic Classification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Images through Image Masking, Tissue Changes, and Trabecular Features

Background: Recent breakthroughs in computer vision and digital microscopy have prompted the application of such technologies in cancer diagnosis, especially in histopathological image analysis. Earlier, an attempt to classify hepatocellular carcinoma images based on nuclear and structural features has been carried out on a set of surgical resected samples. Here, we proposed methods to enhance the process and improve the classification performance. Methods: First, we segmented the histological components of the liver tissues and generated several masked images. By utilizing the masked images, some set of new features were introduced, producing three sets of features consisting nuclei, trabecular and tissue changes features. Furthermore, we extended the classification process by using biopsy resected samples in addition to the surgical samples. Results: Experiments by using support vector machine (SVM) classifier with combinations of features and sample types showed that the proposed methods improve the classification rate in HCC detection for about 1-3%. Moreover, detection rate of low-grades cancer increased when the new features were appended in the classification process, although the rate was worsen in the case of undifferentiated tumors. Conclusions: The masking process increased the reliability of extracted nuclei features. The additional of new features improved the system especially for early HCC detection. Likewise, the combination of surgical and biopsy samples as training data could also improve the classification rates. Therefore, the methods will extend the support for pathologists in the HCC diagnosis.

Correlation between B7-H3 expression and matrix metalloproteinases 2 expression in pancreatic cancer

BackgroundB7-H3 and matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) are reported highly expressed in malignant tumor, we investigate the relationship between B7-H3 expression and MMP-2 on malignant behavior and prognosis predictable value in pancreatic cancer.MethodsWe tested the expressions of B7-H3 and MMP-2 protein in 45 pancreatic surgical resected cancer samples; meanwhile, the clinicopathological data of enrolled patients were obtained for correlation analysis to obtain their relationship with pancreatic cancer progress.ResultsThe expression of B7-H3 was up-regulated with infiltrating depth, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P < 0.01). Positive expression rate of MMP-2 in pancreatic cancer tissues was 44.35%, whereas negative in normal pancreatic tissues. Multivariate analysis of Logistic regression showed B7-H3 and MMP-2 expressions were hazardous makers correlated with infiltrating depth (P < 0.05).ConclusionOur study showed combined detections of B7-H3 and MMP2 protein expression could identify patients at high risk in disease recurrence and prognosis more efficiently.

Correlation between telomerase activity and matrix metalloproteinases 2 expression in gastric cancer

To investigate the relationship between telomerase activity (TA) and matrix metallo proteinases 2 (MMP-2) on malignant behavior and prognosis predictable value in gastric cancer. Telomerase activity and MMP-2 protein expressions were tested in 40 gastric surgical resected cancer samples and the clinicopathological data of enrolled patients were obtained to get correlation analysis results. The expression of telomerase was up-regulated with infiltrating depth, lymph node metastasis and stage (P < 0.01). Positive expression rate of MMP-2 in gastric cancer tissues was 44.35%, negative in normal gastric tissues. Multivariate analysis of Logistic regression showed telomerase activity and MMP-2 expression were hazardous makers correlated with infiltrating depth (P < 0.05). Combined detections of telomerase activity and MMP2 protein could identify patients at high risk in disease recurrence and prognosis more efficiently.