Published online Oct 1, 1995. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v1.i1.9
Revised: June 25, 1995
Accepted: August 20, 1995
Published online: October 1, 1995
AIM: To analyze the relationship between intestinal metaplasia (IM) and gastric cancer (GC).
METHODS: The expression of the Span-1 and Ypan-1 antigens in GC (n = 110) and IM (n = 343) specimens was examined using the ABC immunohistochemical technique.
RESULTS: The expression rates of Span-1 and Ypan-1 in well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma (85.4% and 70.0%, respectively), signet-ring cell carcinoma (80.0%, 88.7%) and mucinous adenocarcinoma (88.6%, 76.5%) were significantly higher than the rates in poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (48.6%, 45.9%), whereas the difference between early GC (59.2%, 65.4%) and advanced GC (73.8%, 65.5%) was insignificant. For IM, the expression of Span-1 was significantly higher in dysplasia, IM with GC, and chronic atrophic gastritis than in chronic superficial gastritis. In contrast, the expression of Ypan-1 was significantly higher only in IM with dysplasia (65.5%) than in chronic superficial gastritis (39.3%). When IM was classified into types I, II and III, the expression of both antigens in type III (79.0%, 75.2%) was higher than in type I (42.3%, 45.5%) and type II (51.2%, 50.0%), which themselves were similar.
CONCLUSION: Span-1 and Ypan-1 may be of value in detecting GC, even in the early stage, and type III IM should be considered precancerous.