Zheng HC, Tsuneyama K, Takahashi H, Miwa S, Sugiyama T, Popivanova BK, Fujii C, Nomoto K, Mukaida N, Takano Y. Aberrant Pim-3 expression is involved in gastric adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence and cancer progression.
J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2008;
134:481-488. [PMID:
17876606 DOI:
10.1007/s00432-007-0310-1]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2007] [Accepted: 08/28/2007] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE
Pim-3, a member of the proto-oncogene Pim family with serine/threonine kinase activity was aberrantly expressed in cancerous lesions of endoderm-derived organs such as liver, pancreas, and colon. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of Pim-3 expression in the tumorigenesis and the development of gastric carcinomas.
METHODS
Pim-3 expression was immunohistochemically examined on the tissue microarrays containing primary (n = 285) and metastastic (n = 37) sites of gastric carcinomas, in comparison with adenoma (n = 48) and non-cancerous mucosa (n = 84). It was also compared with the clinicopathological parameters of gastric carcinomas.
RESULTS
Pim-3 expression was enhanced in adenoma (64.6%) and metastasis sites of gastric carcinoma (73.0%), to a lesser degree in primary sites of gastric carcinoma (39.3%) when compared to non-cancerous mucosa (13.1%, p < 0.0001). Pim-3 expression levels were higher in intestinal-type than diffuse-type gastric carcinoma (p = 0.018). Pim-3 expression was closely correlated with sex (p = 0.047), lymphatic (p = 0.019) and venous invasion (p = 0.014). Pim-3 expression was correlated significantly with vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF, p = 0.009) and extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN, p = 0.032), both of which are presumed to be involved in neovascularization, a crucial step for metastasis. On the contrary, phosphatase and tensin homology deleted from human chromosome 10 (Pten) negative gastric carcinomas exhibited higher Pim-3 expression than Pten positive ones (p = 0.042). There was no relationship between Pim-3 expression and MVD in gastric carcinomas (p = 0.715). Furthermore, patients with Pim-3 positive gastric cancer, showed a lower cumulative survival rate than those with Pim-3 negative gastric cancer (p = 0.014) and Pim-3 positive was also identified as an independent prognostic factor for gastric carcinoma patients (p = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS
Aberrant Pim-3 expression was involved in gastric adenoma-adenocarcinoma sequence and subsequent invasion and metastasis process in gastric cancer. Moreover, Pim-3 may be employed to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Distinct Pim-3 expression underlies the molecular mechanisms for the differentiation of intestinal-type and diffuse-type carcinomas.
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