To clarify the mechanism of tumor metastasis, lymph nodes micrometastasis and expression of MMP-7, which is related to lymph node metastases, were investigated in 45 submucosal, invasive gastric carcino-mas.
Metastases to lymph nodes were detected in 12 of 45 cases(26.7%) by HE stain. In 13 of 45 cases (28.9%), only micrometastases were detected by immunostaining with anti-cytokeratin antibody.
The incidence of micrometastases was higher in poorly-differentiated carcinoma than well-differentiated carcinoma. Expression of MMP-7 was higher in metastasis positive cases than in negative cases. In poorly-differentiated cases, expression of MMP-7 was associated with micrometastasis.
In conclusion, expression of MMP-7 may play an important role not only in tumor metastasis but in micrometastasis to lymph node especially in poorly-differentiated cases.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 196〜201, 2002]
*1Department of Pathology, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Tsuchiura 300-0053
【Key Words】micrometastasis(微小転移)，metastasis(転移)，MMP-7(マトリックスメタロプロテナーゼ-7)，cytokeratin(サイトケラチン)
受付2001年8月7日・受理2001年11月15日
*1〜3総合病院土浦協同病院病理部(〒300-0053 土浦市真鍋新町11-7)
*1東京医科歯科大学病因・病理学講座(〒113-8519 東京都文京区湯島1-5-45)
E-mail :isohama2587@ocn.co.jp