AIM： To determine the prognostic significance of isolated tumor cells （ITCs） and lymph node micrometastases in gastric cancer. METHODS： Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of lymph node dissections of 632 consecu...AIM： To determine the prognostic significance of isolated tumor cells （ITCs） and lymph node micrometastases in gastric cancer. METHODS： Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of lymph node dissections of 632 consecutive gastric cancers were reviewed. Cytokeratin immunostaining was performed in 280 node-negative cases and 5 cases indefinite for lymph node metastases. Lymph node metastases were divided into ITCs, micrometastases, or macrometastases, according to the sizes of tumor deposits in largest dimension. ITCs were further classified into four groups according to metastasis pattern. RESULTS： Lymph node metastases were identified by immunostaining in 58 of 280 node-negative cases （20.7%） and were not significantly associated with patient survival （P = 0.3460）. After cytokeratin immunostaining, 196 cases were classified as pN1, which consisted of 20 cases with micrometastases detected by immunostaining （pNlmi（i＋））, 34 cases with only micrometastases （pNlmi）, and 142 cases with pN1 with one or more macrometastases （pN1）. Cases with pNlmi and pNlmi（i＋） had a significantly better prognosis than the cases with pN1 （P = 0.0037）. ITCs were found in 38 of these 58 cases, and could be divided into four groups： 12 cases with only a single cell pattern, 7 cases with multiple individual cells, 5 cases with single small cluster, and 14 cases with multiple small clusters. Among these four groups, cases with ITCs of multiple individual cell pattern showed the worst survival （median survival： 28 mo, P〈0.0001）.CONCLUSION： Both size and pattern of lymph node metastases can give prognostic information on the survival of gastric cancer patients.展开更多
AIM： To investigate the correlation between tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP in HCC patients, and to investigate their prognostic significance. METHODS： Preoperative sera, paired tumorous and non-tumorous tissues wer...AIM： To investigate the correlation between tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP in HCC patients, and to investigate their prognostic significance. METHODS： Preoperative sera, paired tumorous and non-tumorous tissues were collected from 19 consecutive patients who had undergone surgical resection of HCC. ST6Gal I activities in the tissues were measured by an in vitro microsomal enzyme activity assay. The percentages of tumor-specific msAFP in the sera were also estimated by an isoelectric focusing-immunoblotting assay. RESULTS： The tumor ST6Gal I activity was negatively correlated with serum msAFP percentage （r = -0.53, P = 0.019）. Both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity and increased serum msAFP percentage were associated with poor tumor cell differentiation. Univariate analyses showed that both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity （P = 0.028）, increased serum msAFP percentage （P = 0.034） and poor tumor cell differentiation （P = 0.031）were associated with shorter overall survival. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model showed that the preoperative serum msAFP percentage （P = 0.022） and tumor cell differentiation status （P = 0.048） were independent prognostic indicators for patient overall survival. CONCLUSION： Our results indicate that the presence of msAFP in blood circulation is associated with a decreased activity of ST6Gal I activity in HCC. Both tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP are potential prognostic markers for patients with operable HCC.展开更多
基金Supported by a grant (FG03-11-02) from the 21C Frontier Functional Human Genome Project from the Ministry of Science and Technology of Korea
文摘AIM： To determine the prognostic significance of isolated tumor cells （ITCs） and lymph node micrometastases in gastric cancer. METHODS： Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of lymph node dissections of 632 consecutive gastric cancers were reviewed. Cytokeratin immunostaining was performed in 280 node-negative cases and 5 cases indefinite for lymph node metastases. Lymph node metastases were divided into ITCs, micrometastases, or macrometastases, according to the sizes of tumor deposits in largest dimension. ITCs were further classified into four groups according to metastasis pattern. RESULTS： Lymph node metastases were identified by immunostaining in 58 of 280 node-negative cases （20.7%） and were not significantly associated with patient survival （P = 0.3460）. After cytokeratin immunostaining, 196 cases were classified as pN1, which consisted of 20 cases with micrometastases detected by immunostaining （pNlmi（i＋））, 34 cases with only micrometastases （pNlmi）, and 142 cases with pN1 with one or more macrometastases （pN1）. Cases with pNlmi and pNlmi（i＋） had a significantly better prognosis than the cases with pN1 （P = 0.0037）. ITCs were found in 38 of these 58 cases, and could be divided into four groups： 12 cases with only a single cell pattern, 7 cases with multiple individual cells, 5 cases with single small cluster, and 14 cases with multiple small clusters. Among these four groups, cases with ITCs of multiple individual cell pattern showed the worst survival （median survival： 28 mo, P〈0.0001）.CONCLUSION： Both size and pattern of lymph node metastases can give prognostic information on the survival of gastric cancer patients.
基金Supported by Central Allocation Grant CUHK 2/02C from the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong the Direct Grant for Research (2040750) from the Chinese University of Hong Kong
文摘AIM： To investigate the correlation between tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP in HCC patients, and to investigate their prognostic significance. METHODS： Preoperative sera, paired tumorous and non-tumorous tissues were collected from 19 consecutive patients who had undergone surgical resection of HCC. ST6Gal I activities in the tissues were measured by an in vitro microsomal enzyme activity assay. The percentages of tumor-specific msAFP in the sera were also estimated by an isoelectric focusing-immunoblotting assay. RESULTS： The tumor ST6Gal I activity was negatively correlated with serum msAFP percentage （r = -0.53, P = 0.019）. Both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity and increased serum msAFP percentage were associated with poor tumor cell differentiation. Univariate analyses showed that both decreased tumor ST6Gal I activity （P = 0.028）, increased serum msAFP percentage （P = 0.034） and poor tumor cell differentiation （P = 0.031）were associated with shorter overall survival. Multivariate analysis using the Cox regression model showed that the preoperative serum msAFP percentage （P = 0.022） and tumor cell differentiation status （P = 0.048） were independent prognostic indicators for patient overall survival. CONCLUSION： Our results indicate that the presence of msAFP in blood circulation is associated with a decreased activity of ST6Gal I activity in HCC. Both tissue ST6Gal I and serum msAFP are potential prognostic markers for patients with operable HCC.
