Published in:
01-11-2007 | Gastrointestinal Oncology
Clinical Implication of CXCL12 Expression in Gastric Cancer
Authors:
Sumiya Ishigami, MD, PhD, Shoji Natsugoe, MD, PhD, Hiroshi Okumura, MD, PhD, Masataka Matsumoto, MD, PhD, Akihiro Nakajo, MD, PhD, Yoshikazu Uenosono, MD, PhD, Takaaki Arigami, MD, PhD, Yasuto Uchikado, MD, PhD, Tetsuro Setoyama, MD, PhD, Hideo Arima, MD, PhD, Shuichi Hokita, MD, PhD, Takashi Aikou, MD, PhD
Published in:
Annals of Surgical Oncology
|
Issue 11/2007
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Abstract
Purpose
Recent research has revealed that tumor cells expressing chemokine receptors have a crucial impact on patient survival. However, there is no information regarding chemokine expression in gastro-intestinal cancer. This study immunohistochemically investigated CXCL12 expression in gastric cancer and evaluated its association with clinical factors, including patient prognosis.
Method
A total of 185 gastric cancer patients receiving curative gastrectomy were assessed. CXCL12 expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis. Tumors with CXCL12-positive cancer cells were regarded as CXCL12 positive, and according to the degree of CXCL12 expression, patients were divided into three groups (weak, 31 cases; moderate, 27 cases; strong, 20 cases). Correlations between CXCL12 expression and clinical factors in gastric cancer were then determined.
Results
CXCL12 was found in the cellular membrane of cancer cells. Seventy-four of 185 patients were classified into the CXCL12-positive group. Patients were divided into three groups according to the positivity of CXCL12 expression. Significant associations between CXCL12 and lymph node metastases (p < 0.05), depth of invasion (p < 0.01), lymphatic invasion (p < 0.01), tumor diameter (p < 0.05), and clinical stage (p < 0.01) were seen. Univariate analysis revealed that the CXCL12-positive group had significantly poorer surgical outcome than the CXCL12-negative group (p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed CXCL12 to be an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer (p = 0.02).
Conclusion
Cancerous CXCL12 positivity was determined to be an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer, with CXCL12-positive gastric cancer showing more-aggressive behavior. Autocrine CXCL12 secretion from tumor cells may activate CXCR-4 on the tumor cells, which may be related to of the viability of distant metastases.