LI-cadherin: a marker of gastric metaplasia and neoplasia. Issue 1 (1st July 2001)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grötzinger, C; Kneifel, J; Patschan, D; Schnoy, N; Anagnostopoulos, I; Faiss, S; Tauber, R; Wiedenmann, B; Geβner, R
• Is Part Of: Gut. Volume 49:Issue 1(2001)
• Page Start: 73
• Page End: 81
• Publication Date: 2001-07-01
• Subjects: stomach -- intestinal metaplasia -- cadherins -- carcinogenesis; Gastroenterology -- Periodicals; 616.33
• DOI: 10.1136/gut.49.1.73
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-5749

Abstract

Abstract : BACKGROUND: Intestinal metaplasia is considered a risk factor for the development of gastric adenocarcinomas of the intestinal type and is found in approximately 20% of gastric biopsies. Conventional histology only detects advanced stages of intestinal metaplasia. AIMS: To study expression of the enterocyte specific adhesion molecule liver-intestinal (LI)-cadherin in intestinal metaplasia as well as in gastric cancer, and to evaluate its use as a diagnostic marker molecule. PATIENTS: Gastric biopsies (n=77) from 30 consecutive patients (n=30; aged 28–90 years) as well as surgically resected tissue samples (n=24) of all types of gastric carcinomas were analysed. METHODS: Single and double label immunofluorescence detection on cryosections of gastric biopsies; alkaline phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase method on paraffin embedded carcinoma tissue sections. RESULTS: Of 77 biopsies (from 30 patients), 12 (from 10 patients) stained positive for LI-cadherin. LI-cadherin staining correlated with the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Conventional histological diagnosis however failed to detect subtle gastric intestinal metaplasia (three of 10 patients). In contrast, only LI-cadherin and villin were positive in these cases whereas sucrase-isomaltase also failed to detect intestinal metaplasia in four of 10 patients. Well differentiated gastric carcinomas showed intense staining for LI-cadherin while undifferentiated carcinomas showed only weak diffuse cytoplasmic staining. CONCLUSIONS: To detect early metaplastic changes in the gastric mucosa, LI-cadherin has a sensitivity superior to sucrase-isomaltase and conventional histology and comparable with that of villin. Its specificity exceeds that of villin. Thus LI-cadherin represents a new, reliable, and powerful marker molecule for early detection of gastric intestinal metaplasia and well differentiated adenocarcinomas.