Micrometastases In Conventional Pathologic Non-metastsis No.12 Lymph Nodes In The Patients With Carcinoma In The Lower Third Of Stomach

Objective To study micrometastases in conventional pathologic non-metastasis No. 12 lymph nodes in the patients with carcinoma in the lower third of stomach and to evaluate the relationship between micrometastases and clinicopathological features. Methods A total of 86 No. 12 lymph nodes harvested from 39 patients who showed histologically free of metastasis were examined by consecutive sections and TRAP (telomeric repeat amplification protocol) -ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay). The data were statistically analyzed according to the clinicopathological features of the patients. Results The micrometastases were discovered in 6 lymph nodes from 6 patients by consecutive sections. The occurrance rate of lymph nodes micrometastases was 15.38% (6/39) and the micrometastatic rate of the conventional pathologic non-metastasis lymph nodes was 6.98% (6/86) . By TRAP-ELISA method, 4 positive lymph nodes by consecutive sections were detected positively also and 4 normal lymph nodes were showed negatively, so it should be considered that the TRAP-ELISA results of the lymph nodes detected positively by consecutive sections were positive too and those of the normal lymph nodes were negative similarly. In the negative lymph nodes observed by consecutive sections, 8 lymph nodes in 7 patients were detected positively by TRAP-ELISA, thus the total lymph nodes micrometastases were found in 14 (6+8) lymph nodes in 13 (6+7) patients by TRAP-ELISA. The occurrance rate of lymph nodes micrometastases was 33.33% (13/39) and the micrometastatic rate of the conventional pathologic non-metastasis lymph nodes was 16.28% (14/86) . It revealed that lymph nodes micrometastases were correlated with the size of the tumor and the patient's clinical stage (P<0.05), but not correlated with patients' age, gender and general style and histological classification of the tumor (P>0.05). It also showed that the micrometastatc rate tended to increase as the infiltration more deeply in the wall of the stomach. The micrometastatic rates among No. 12 subgroups were also different, the No.l2a was 21.43% and No.l2p was 27.03% individually, those were predominated over that of No.l2b subgroup (2.86%). Conclusions The occurrance rate of No.12 lymph nodes micrometastases in patients with carcinoma in the lower third of the stomach was 33.33% and the micrometastatic rate of the conventional pathologic non-metastasis lymph nodes was 16.28% by TRAP-ELISA method. The lymph nodes micrometastases were correlated with the size of the tumor and the patient's clinical stage, but not with the patients' age, gender and general styles and histological classification of the tumor. The micrometastatic rates among No.12 subgroups were also different, the No.l2a was similar to No.l2p, but the two formers were predominated over that of No. 12b subgroup.