The Clinicopathologic Significance Of The Expression Of α-SMA And CD34 In Stroma Of Advanced Gastric Cancer

Objective: To investigate the correlation between the distribution of myofibroblasts and CD34 positive stromal cells(CD34+stromal cells) and clinicopathologic characteristics of advanced gastric cancer.Methods: A retrospective study of 65 advanced gastric cancer patients underwent radical resection from 1999 to 2005 was investigated to analyze the distribution of myofibroblasts and CD34+stromal cells by Picric acidSirus red staining and immunohistochemical staining.Results: (1)Among the 65 cases,α-SMA was expressed in 57 cases (87.7%) .The expression ofα-SMA in stroma cells was found significantly correlated with tumor size,invasion depth and Borrmann grade (P<0.05) .(2) CD34 was expressed in 58 (89.2%) of 65 cases. The expression of CD34 was found significantly correlated with tumor size (P=0.004) .(3)The distribution of CD34+stromal cells is significant correlated with that of myofibroblasts .(4) Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model showed that the status ofα-SMA expression was an independent unfavourabale prognostic factor in gastric cancer, as well as the status of depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and the size of gastric cancer.Conclusion: Stromal cells may play an important role in the progression and invasion in advanced gastric cancer. We found the expression ofα-SMA stronger in the more Proliferative and more invasive cases of advanced gastric cancer.α-SMA is also found stronger expression in BorrmannⅢ/Ⅳthan that in BorrmannⅠ/Ⅱcases. The expression of CD34 is significantly correlated with thatα-SMA.The stronger expression ofα-SMA in stroma in advanced gastric cancer represents poorer prognosis. Thus,α-SMA may be a promising prognostic factor in advanced gastric cancer...