PURPOSE
Replication error (RER) is an important mechanism in the gastric carcinogenesis and known to contribute to the pathogenesis of multiple gastric carcinomas (GCs). A proportion of sporadic GCs are RER-positive and RER-positive GCs have been reported to have distinct clinicopathological features. The purpose of the present study included whether there are characteristic clinicopathological features of RER-positive GCs and whether there is a difference of RER frequency between single and multiple GC in age-matched patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We analyzed 96 cases of single GC and 19 cases of multiple GC for the RER status using 7 microsatellite loci to assess their clinicopathological features.
RESULT
Ten cases (10%) of 96 single GCs and five cases (26.3%) of 19 multiple GCs were RER-positive. However, comparison of RER frequency between single and multiple GCs in patients older than 60 years revealed no significant difference. Jn single GCs, RER-positive tumors showed a proclivity toward older age, antral location, and elevated gross type (Borrmann 2 or EGC IIa or I). Multiple GCs with RER showed a female-sex preponderance. Clinicopathological features of RER-positive tumors were similar in both single and multiple GCs.
CONCLUSION
The present study revealed that RER-positive tumors had distinct clinico- pathological features and there was no significant difference of RER frequency between single and multiple GC in elderly patients. Our data suggests that RER contributes to the pathogenesis of GC, either single or multiple, in aged patients.