HISTOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY

Cellular and Molecular Biology

Tetranectin expression in gastric adenocarcinomas

D.L. Arvanitis1, E.F. Kamper2, L. Kopeikina2, A. Stavridou1,
M.N. Sgantzos1, V. Kallioras1, E. Athanasiou3 and P. Kanavaros4

1Departments of Anatomy and Pathology, University of Thessaly, Medical School, Larissa, Greece,
2Department of Experimental Physiology, University of Athens, Medical School, Athens, Greece,
3Department of Surgery, University of Thessaly, Medical School, Larissa, Greece and
4Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Ioannina, Medical School, Ioannina, Greece

Offprint requests to: Prof. Dimitrios L. Arvanitis, Department of Anatomy, University of Thessaly, Medical School, Papakyriazi 22, 41222 Larissa, Greece. Fax: 041 565085

 

Summary. Aims: The aim was to analyze the immunohistochemical localization of tetranectin in gastric adenocarcinomas and the adjacent tissues of the wall of the stomach. Methods and results: Forty cases of gastric adenocarcinomas were stained by the indirect immunoperoxidase method. Of the ten cases of mucinous signet ring cell carcinomas 5 showed high, 3 moderate and 2 low tetranectin expression. Of the ten cases of well-differentiated intestinal type adenocarcinomas (ITA) 4 showed moderate regional, 3 low regional and 3 negative tetranectin expression. Of the ten cases of moderately-differentiated ITA 3 showed moderate regional, 4 low regional and 3 negative tetranectin expression. Of the ten cases of poorly-differentiated ITA 4 showed focal low and 6 negative tetranectin expression. Overall, the mucinous signet ring carcinomas showed significantly higher tetranectin expression compared to ITA (c2=3.95, p<0.05). In contrast, no significant relationship was found between tetranectin expression and the degree of differentiation in ITA (c2=2.5, p>0.05). In all cases, the perineoplastic desmoplastic reactive stroma showed high expression of tetranectin intra- and extracellularly. The mast cells and goblet cells in the areas of intestinal metaplasia showed high tetranectin expression. Conclusions: This study shows that: a) tetranectin is produced and deposited extracellularly in the desmoplastic peritumoral stroma of infiltrating gastric adenocarcinomas; b) tetranectin is more highly expressed by the mucinous signet ring cell carcinomas compared to ITA; and c) the amount of tetranectin produced by the ITA is unrelated with the degree of tumor differentiation. Histol. Histopathol. 17, 471-475 (2002)

Key words: Tetranectin, adenocarcinoma, stomach, immunohistochemistry

DOI: 10.14670/HH-17.471