Expression And Clinical Significance Of Extracellular Matrix Protein1in Gastric Carcinoma

[Objective] To detect the protein and mRNA expression of extracellular matrix protein-1(ECM1)in gastric carcinoma, and to investigate the correlation between ECM1protein expression andlymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) and their associations with the clinical pathologicalfeatures[Methods]1. The protein expression of ECM1was examined in the cancerous tissues, theiradjacent normal mucosa and regional lymph nodes in23cases of gastric carcinoma byimmunohistochemistry. Lymph vessels were labeled by D2-40and LMVD was calculated. Thecorrelation between the expression of ECM1protein and LMVD was analyzed.2. The relative expression of ECM1mRNA was detected in the corresponding tissues of the abovesubjects by real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RQ-PCR).3. The correlation of ECM1expression and LMVD with the clinicopathological factors in gastriccarcinoma was also analyzed.[Results]1. LMVD in the tumor tissues (10.24±1.22LMV per×400field) was significantlyhigher than that in adjacent normal mucosa (4.39±0.79LMV per×400field, P <0.01) and that inregional lymph nodes (7.07±1.33LMV per×400field, P <0.01), but the difference in LMVD ofthe normal mucosa and the regional lymph nodes was not statistically significant (P>0.05).2.ECM1protein was expressed in73.9%(17/23) of gastric carcinoma tissues,4.3%(1/23) of theirnormal counterparts and39.1%(9/23) of regional lymph nodes. The positive rate of ECM1expression in the gastric carcinoma tissues and in regional lymph nodes were both higher than thatin the corresponding mucosa tissuχ2es (=23.37, P <0.001), but the difference of ECM1expression in the normal mucosa and the regional lymph nodes was not statistically significant (P>0.0125). The relative expression of ECM1mRNA in the carcinoma tissues was higher than thatin the corresponding mucosa and lymph nodes (P<0.01).3. The ECM1protein expression waspositively correlated with LMVD in the gastric carcinoma tissues (r=0.414，P<0.05).4. The protein expression of ECM1and LMVD were both correlated with histological grade in thegastric carcinoma tissues; both higher ECM1expression and LMVD were detected in gastric carcinoma tissues with lower histological grade (P <0.05, respectively).[Conclusion]1. The expression of ECM1protein and mRNA in the gastric carcinoma tissueswas higher than that in adjacent normal mucosa.2. The protein expression of ECM1was positively correlated with LMVD in gastric carcinomatissues. ECM1might participate in lymphangiogenesis, to promote lymphatic infiltration andmetastasis of human breast carcinoma.3. The protein expression of ECM1and LMVD were both positively correlated with histologicalgrade in the gastric carcinoma tissues.