Masahiko Matsuda

The prognostic significance of amplification and overexpression of c‐met and c‐erb B‐2 in human gastric carcinomas

The c‐met and the c‐erb B‐2 protooncogenes belong to a family of tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors. Abnormalities of these oncogenes and protein products have been reported in several cancers. The authors investigated the correlation between clinical factors and amplification or overexpression of the c‐met and/or c‐erb B‐2 gene in Japanese patients with gastric carcinoma patients, with a focus on prognostic significance.

Clinicopathologic evaluation of immunohistochemical E-cadherin expression in human gastric carcinomas.

Background. E‐cadherin plays a crucial role in cell‐cell adhesion in epithelial tissues. Recent studies have shown a correlation between decreased E‐cadherin expression and cancer cell detachment.

Prognostic value of cyclin E and p53 expression in gastric carcinoma

Cyclins and wild‐type p53 are prime cell cycle regulators and may be involved in tumorigenesis. Cyclin E is a late G1 cyclin and its abnormalities have been reported in several cancers. The authors investigated the correlation between cyclin E expression and progression of gastric carcinoma.

Progression in gastric carcinoma relative to the ratio of CD44 epithelial variant transcript to CD44 hematopoietic variant transcript

It has been suggested that CD44 splice variants play a role in the progression of certain epithelial cancers and non‐Hodgkins lymphoma. In this study, we investigated the epithelial variant/hematopoietic variant (E/H) ratio (the amount of the CD44 epithelial variant transcript relative to the CD44 hematopoietic variant transcript) in human gastric carcinoma compared with normal gastric mucosa.

CLONING OF A CANCER CELL–PRODUCING HEPATOCYTE GROWTH FACTOR, VASCULAR ENDOTHELIAL GROWTH FACTOR, AND INTERLEUKIN-8 FROM GASTRIC CANCER CELLS

SummaryA cell colony (IM95m) that produces hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) was cloned from gastric cancer cells (IM95 cell line). In culture medium, the highest levels of HGF, VEGF, and IL-8 were about 1.1, 0.9, and 0.17 ng/ml culture medium at 3 d from 105 cells. IM95m may be useful in elucidating the role of tumor cells in angiogenesis.