Published online Jul 7, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i25.3846
Revised: November 23, 2004
Accepted: November 26, 2004
Published online: July 7, 2005
AIM: To evaluate the expressions of apoptotic signal proteins FADD, TRADD, FasL, Fas, and NFκB in gastric carcinoma tissues and their clinical significance.
METHODS: Western blot immune trace method was adopted to detect the expressions of apoptotic signal proteins FADD, TRADD, FasL, Fas, and NFκB in 55 tissue specimens of gastric carcinoma.
RESULTS: Five apoptotic signal proteins had different expressions in the gastric carcinoma samples and their expressions were not correlated to age (P = 0.085). Expressions of the FADD, FasL, Fas, and NFκB proteins reduced with increase of the volume of tumor with the exception of increased expression the TRADD protein (64.7-71.1%, P = 0.031). With gradual increase of the malignancy of gastric carcinoma tissues, expressions of the FADD, FasL, and Fas proteins decreased (78.6-28.0%, P = 0.008; 78.6-65.9%, P = 0.071; 100.0-46.3%, P = 0.014), while expressions of the TRADD and NFκB proteins increased (42.9-78.1%, P = 0.063; 78.6-79.1%, P = 0.134). With gradual increase of serum CEA, expression of the FADD protein decreased (62.5-34.0%, P = 0.073), but expressions of the TRADD, FasL, Fas, and NFκB proteins increased (0.0-80.8%, P = 0.005; 62.5-70.2%, P = 0.093; 0.0-70.2%, P = 0.003; 62.5-80.9%, P = 0.075). When compared to the tissues of gastric carcinoma without metastasis, the positive rate of expressions of the FADD and FasL proteins increased, whereas expressions of the TRADD, FADD, and NFκB proteins decreased. There was no significant difference between them (P = 0.095).
CONCLUSION: Gastric carcinoma is endurable to Fas-related apoptosis and apoptotic signal proteins are differently expressed in gastric carcinoma.