摘要：Introduction: EpCAM protein belongs to adhesionmolecules of epithelial cells. It mediates in thehomophile adhesion cell-cell reactions. EpCAMprotein expression can be observed in the majorityof healthy normal cells. However, mutations inEpCAM gene may lead to an increased risk ofcancer development. The aim of the study was toassess EpCAM protein expression in the correlationwith chosen clinical and histological parameters ingastric cancer.Materials and Methods: EpCAM proteinexpression was evaluated immunohistochemicallyin 88 patients diagnosed with gastric cancer.Results: An increase in EpCAM protein expressionwas demonstrated in cancer cells compared tonormal gastric mucosa (59.3% cancers with thepositive expression of EpCAM protein). Theincreased EpCAM protein expression was observedin patients with a histological type ofadenocarcinoma without a mucinous componentthan in those with adenocarcinoma with amucinous component (p=0.028). The higherexpression of this protein was observed also in theintestinal type according to the Laurenclassification (p=0.037). The expression of theprotein was lower in the diffuse type of cancer.Additionally, an increase in EpCAM proteinexpression was revealed in cancers infiltrating tothe blood vessels (p=0.013).Conclusions: A correlation between EpCAMexpression and adenocarcinoma without amucinous component as well as the intestinal typeaccording to the Lauren classification may prove arole of this protein in the histogenesis of gastriccancer. Moreover, its positive expression is relatedto cancerous cells infiltrating to the blood vessels,which may suggest a role of EpCAM protein in theearly stages of gastric cancer metastases.
Loading...
