Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica (Apr 2010)
PTP4A3 (PRL-3) expression correlate with lymphatic metastases in gastric cancer
Abstract
Many studies have proved that protein tyrosine phosphatase type IVAmember 3 (PTP4A3, PRL-3) plays a majorrole in the metastasis of gastric cancer, especially to local lymph nodes. The objective of the current study was to assess theexpression of PTP4A3 in gastric cancer in correlation with chosen anatomoclinical parameters and patients' survival. Atotalof 71 patients with gastric carcinomas were divided according to Lauren's, Goseki's, Bormann's and Kubo's classifications.The level of PTP4A3 was determined immunohistochemically using a mouse monoclonal anti-PTP4A3 antibody (clone3B6, anti-human PTP4A3, Attogen Biomedical Research, USA). A statistically significant correlation was observedbetween PTP4A3 and Kubo's classifications (p=0.0454) and on the verge of statistical significance with Lauren's classification(p=0.0503). The expression of the protein was associated more with the poorly-differentiated mucoid carcinoma anddiffused-type carcinoma (58% of cases). We demonstrated a statistically significant correlation between local lymph nodeinvolvement and positive expression of PTP4A3 in the primary tumour (p=0.0000). The current study seems to prove thatPTP4A3 may have a significant impact on the lymphatic spread of gastric carcinoma. The protein expression is also significantlyassociated with gastric carcinomas having a worse prognosis, although patients' survival rate showed lack of correlationwith PTP4A3 expression.
