CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF α-CATENIN RE-EXPRESSION IN METASTATIC LYMPH NODES FROM ADVANCED GASTRIC CANCERS

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the re expression of α catenin in cancerous cells of metastatic lymph nodes from advanced gastric cancers,and to evaluate its clinical significance. MethodsImmunohistochemical expressions of α catenin were observed in 96 primary advanced gastric cancers and 79 metastatic lymph nodes. The expressional levels of these adhesion molecules were compared between primary tumors and metastatic lymph nodes, and whose correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and survival time of patients were analyzed. ResultsIn 79 metastatic lymph nodes , re expression of α catenin compared with their primary tumors was detected in 45 cases ( 57 % ), and in the more advanced stage. The overall 5 year survival rate ( 9 % ) of 45 patients who had metastatic lymph nodes with re expression of α catenin was significantly poorer than that of 34 patients who had metastatic lymph nodes with no re expression of α catenin ( 27 % , P 0.05 ). ConclusionThe re expression of α catenin in cancerous cells of metastatic lymph nodes form advanced gastric cancers is existent, and which correlates with tumor stage and may play an important role in the re growth of cancers cells in metastatic foci. To compare the expression levels of α catenin in the primary tumors and in its metastatic loci immediately after surgery may provide new prognostic information for patients with advanced gastric cancer.