ObjectiveTo study the contents of CD44 that shared exon variant 5 (CD44v5) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of patients with gastric carcinoma and the expression of CD44v5 in tumor tissue and their clinical significance. MethodsThe contents of CD44v5 were determined by FlowCytometry in PBL of 31 patients with gastric carcinoma before surgery and 10 normal controls. Tissue expression of CD44v5 in 33 patients with gastric carcinoma was investigated by immunohistochemistry. ResultsThe contents of CD44v5 were significantly higher in PBL of patients with gastric carcinoma before surgery than those of controls (P＜0.01). Nodepositive gastric cancer patients showed significantly elevated contents of CD44v5 in PBL in comparison with nodenegative gastric cancer (P＜0.01）. Significant correlations were noted between the contents of CD44v5 in PBL of patients with gastric carcinoma before surgery and tumor size, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and different the Vnion International Centre Le Cancer (VICC) stages of tumor (P＜0.05). The expression of CD44v5 could be detected in 69.7% of tumor tissue,but was not detected in adjacent normal gastric mucosa. Significant correlations were noted between CD44v5 expression and depth of invasion,and lymph node metastasis.The presence of CD44v5 protein was correlated with the lymph node involvement rate. Conclusion CD44v5 in PBL or tumor tissue may be useful as a metastatic marker. It may be of important clinical value in the diagnosis of metastasis and judgement of development for the patients with gastric cancer.
Effect of radical operation on expression of interleukin-2(IL-2)mRNA and production of IL-2 were markedly reduced preoperatively and four weeks after operation,expression of IL-2 mRNA significantly enhanced,but it was still lower than that in the normal group.Production of IL-2 nearly reached normal level,When PBL was activated by phytohemagglutinin(PHA),expresseion of IL-2 mRNA and production of IL-2 were much higher than that in non-activated PBL.These results suggested that expression of IL-2 were much higher than that in non-activated PBL.These results suggested that expression of IL-2 mRNA and production of IL-2 are dificient in gastric cancer patients,and radical surgery will help them to recover and they can also be improved through activation with PHA.