原著

大腸癌リンパ節転移，微小転移とリンパ組織中の
アポトーシス細胞およびBAX陽性細胞頻度の関連

池　田　　　聡*1　木　村　　　博*2　芝　田　敏　勝*3

Frequency of Apoptotic Cells and BAX Positive Cells in the Lymph Nodes
of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Metastasis and Micrometastasis

Satoshi IKEDA*1, Hiroshi KIMURA*2 and Toshikatsu SHIBATA, MD*3

It is regarded that the presence of micrometastatic(isolated) cancer cells is a forerunner of metastasis. We classified advanced colorectal cancers into 3 groups such as metastasis group in which distinct metastasis was identified in lymph nodes by HE stain, micrometastasis group which was negative for metastasis by HE stain but positive for micrometastasis by immunostain using antibody for cytokeratin, and non-metastasis group which was negative for both stains. We investigated proliferative activity of cells and frequency of apoptotic cells in the lymph nodes from each group. The frequency of apoptotic cells in the metastasis group was significantly lower than the other groups(p＜0.02), and correlated with expression of BAX protein. In conclusion, frequencies of apoptotic cells and BAX positive cells in the nodes of metastasis group were significantly lower than micrometastasis group. And it was suggested that those changes were correlated with inflow of isolated cancer cells and formation of metastatic foci in the lymph nodes, and may reflected the difference of immunological activity against cancer cells.
[Rinsho Byori 51 : 409〜413, 2003]

*1Department of Pathology, Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, Tsuchiura 300-0053

【Key Words】metastasis(転移)，micrometastasis(微小転移)，apoptosis(アポトーシス)，BAX，immunohistochemistry(免疫組織化学)

受付2002年12月10日・受理2003年3月19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東京医科歯科大学大学院病因・病理学講座(〒113-8519 東京都文京区湯島1-5-45)

E-mail :isohama2587@proof.ocn.ne.jp