High Frequency of c-Met Expression in Gastric Cancers Producing Alpha- Fetoprotein

Gastric cancers producing α-fetoprotein (AFP) have a poor prognosis and a high incidence of liver metastasis. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met, are known to induce mitosis and cell movement and to promote tumor progression. In the present study, c-Met and HGF expression in AFP-producing gastric cancer was compared with those gastric cancers that do not produce AFP. Twenty-six patients with AFP-producing gastric cancers [AFP(+)] and 26 patients stage-matched gastric cancers without AFP production [AFP(–)] were evaluated for c-Met and HGF expression and proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labelling index using immunohistochemical analysis. A higher frequency of c-Met expression was observed in the AFP(+) group than in the AFP(–) group (p < 0.01). A higher expression of c-Met might be one explanation for the poorer prognosis of AFP-producing gastric cancers.

[1]  S. Fujita,et al.  Expression of c-met proto-oncogene in primary colorectal cancer and liver metastases. , 1997, Japanese journal of clinical oncology.

[2]  T Nakamura,et al.  Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) as a tissue organizer for organogenesis and regeneration. , 1997, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[3]  S. Schnitt,et al.  Expression of scatter factor and c-met receptor in benign and malignant breast tissue. , 1997, Cancer.

[4]  R. Ball,et al.  IMMUNOREACTIVITY FOR HEPATOCYTE GROWTH FACTOR/SCATTER FACTOR AND ITS RECEPTOR, met, IN HUMAN LUNG CARCINOMAS AND MALIGNANT MESOTHELIOMAS , 1996, The Journal of pathology.

[5]  H. Yamamoto,et al.  Participation of c-met in the progression of human gastric cancers: anti-c-met oligonucleotides inhibit proliferation or invasiveness of gastric cancer cells. , 1996, Cancer gene therapy.

[6]  T. Yamamoto,et al.  Hepatocyte growth factor and c-Met/hepatocyte growth factor receptor in pulmonary adenocarcinomas: an evaluation of their expression as prognostic markers. , 1996, Oncology.

[7]  P. Comoglio,et al.  Overexpression of the met/HGF receptor in renal cell carcinomas , 1996, International journal of cancer.

[8]  P Zola,et al.  Overexpression of the MET/HGF receptor in ovarian cancer , 1994, International journal of cancer.

[9]  L. Lin,et al.  Modulation of c-MET proto-oncogene (HGF receptor) mRNA abundance by cytokines and hormones: evidence for rapid decay of the 8 kb c-MET transcript. , 1994, Oncogene.

[10]  H. Watanabe,et al.  α‐Fetoprotein producing gastric carcinomas: A comparative study of three different subtypes , 1993, Acta pathologica japonica.

[11]  T. Nakamura,et al.  Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor is an autocrine factor for human normal bronchial epithelial and lung carcinoma cells. , 1993, Cell growth & differentiation : the molecular biology journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

[12]  W. Birchmeier,et al.  Extracellular proteolytic cleavage by urokinase is required for activation of hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. , 1992, The EMBO journal.

[13]  M. Pierotti,et al.  Overexpression of the c-MET/HGF receptor gene in human thyroid carcinomas. , 1992, Oncogene.

[14]  H. Ito,et al.  Frequent amplification of the c-met gene in scirrhous type stomach cancer. , 1992, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[15]  S. Hayashi,et al.  Serum hepatocyte growth factor levels in hepatectomized and nonhepatectomized surgical patients. , 1992, Gastroenterology.

[16]  L. Naldini,et al.  Hepatocyte growth factor is a potent angiogenic factor which stimulates endothelial cell motility and growth , 1992, The Journal of cell biology.

[17]  K. Matsumoto,et al.  Regulation of cell growth and motility by hepatocyte growth factor and receptor expression in various cell species. , 1992, Experimental cell research.

[18]  N. Hayashi,et al.  Changes in serum human hepatocyte growth factor levels after transcatheter arterial embolization and partial hepatectomy. , 1992, The American journal of gastroenterology.

[19]  N. Nagasue,et al.  Comparison between the clinicopathologic features of AFP-positive and AFP-negative gastric cancers. , 1992, The American journal of gastroenterology.

[20]  K. Matsumoto,et al.  Hepatocyte growth factor: molecular structure, roles in liver regeneration, and other biological functions. , 1992, Critical reviews in oncogenesis.

[21]  R. Halaban,et al.  Met and hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor signal transduction in normal melanocytes and melanoma cells. , 1992, Oncogene.

[22]  P. Comoglio,et al.  The receptor encoded by the human C‐MET oncogene is expressed in hepatocytes, epithelial cells and solid tumors , 1991, International journal of cancer.

[23]  P. Comoglio,et al.  c-met is amplified but not mutated in a cell line with an activated met tyrosine kinase. , 1991, Oncogene.

[24]  J Vandekerckhove,et al.  Scatter factor: molecular characteristics and effect on the invasiveness of epithelial cells , 1990, The Journal of cell biology.

[25]  N. Nagasue,et al.  [The characters of AFP-producing early gastric cancer]. , 1990, Nihon Geka Gakkai zasshi.

[26]  C. Cooper,et al.  Biosynthesis of the protein encoded by the c-met proto-oncogene. , 1989, Oncogene.

[27]  C. Cooper,et al.  Tyrosine kinase receptor indistinguishable from the c-met protein , 1989, Nature.

[28]  Michael Stoker,et al.  Scatter factor is a fibroblast-derived modulator of epithelial cell mobility , 1987, Nature.

[29]  T. Nakamura,et al.  Partial purification and characterization of hepatocyte growth factor from serum of hepatectomized rats. , 1984, Biochemical and biophysical research communications.

[30]  M. Sawai,et al.  Immunochemical model for the agglutination reaction of FR antigens in a new latex photometric immunoassay with near infrared turbidimetry. , 1980, The Kitasato archives of experimental medicine.

[31]  T. Waldmann,et al.  Serum α-Fetoprotein in Patients with Neoplasms of the Gastrointestinal Tract , 1975 .

[32]  C G BERGSTRAND,et al.  Demonstration of a new protein fraction in serum from the human fetus. , 1956, Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation.