Abstract
Expression of carbohydrate antigens in tissues (Span-1, CA 19-9, SLEX) and the nuclear DNA ploidy pattern were studied using tissue sections of lesions excised from 68 patients with gastric carcinoma. The frequency of expression of each antigen increased with increased depth of invasion and advance in the n-factor of gastric carcinoma. In patients who showed positive findings to three kinds of antigens, the frequency of positive findings for factors of ly, n and v was significantly high, whereas it was low in those who showed negative findings to these antigens. DNA histograms of Span-1-negative cells showed a diploid pattern of Ia and Ib types in all patients, whereas DNA histograms of Span-1-positive cells were non-diploid, or showed a high ploidy pattern of type II or III in many patients. The frequency of expression of polyploid cells of more than 4c was significantly high in patients with Span-1-positive findings. These results suggest that immunohistological study of gastric carcinoma using monoclonal antibodies and analysis of carcinonuclear DNA ploidy pattern help to better clarify the malignancy of gastric carcinoma.
