Antigen expression associated with lymph node metastasis in gastric adenocarcinomas

A total of 100 gastric adenocarcinomas, comprising 50 cases with lymph node metastasis and 50 cases without lymph node metastasis, were examined for immunohistochemical reactivity with the monoclonal antibody to urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), Le^x related 4C9 antigen, Jun, or to nucleobindin (Nuc). In tumors with lymph node metastasis, 41 (82%) were positive for u-PA and 28 (56%) were positive for Nuc. In tumors without lymph node metastasis, 26 (52%) were positive for u-PA and five (10%) were positive for Nuc. The percentage of cases positive for u-PA or Nuc was significantly higher in tumors with lymph node metastasis than that in tumors without lymph node metastasis ( P < 0.01). The expression of u-PA was found to be significantly correlated with that of Nuc ( P < 0.001), mode of infiltrative growth ( P < 0.05), depth of invasion ( P < 0.01), and grade of lymphatic invasion ( P < 0.01). However, the expression of Nuc was found to be significantly correlated with the expression of Jun ( P < 0.05), depth of invasion ( P < 0.01), and grade of lymphatic invasion ( P < 0.001). These results suggest that immunohistochemical examination for the expression of u-PA and Nuc in tumor cells may help evaluate the potential of adenocarcinomas of the stomach for lymph node metastasis.