Expression of Cdx2 and hepatocyte antigen in gastric carcinoma: correlation with histologic type and implications for prognosis.

PURPOSE This study was designed to (a) analyze the correlation between the expression of Cdx2 and Hep and the clinicopathologic features of patients with gastric carcinoma, and (b) determine the value of combined analysis of Cdx2 and Hep expression in distinguishing histologic types and prognoses of gastric carcinomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The expression of Cdx2 and Hep were studied using immunohistochemistry of paraffin-embedded tumor specimens from 109 patients who underwent D2 resection for gastric adenocarcinoma from 1995 to 1998. RESULTS Nuclear Cdx2 and Hep expression was detected in 36.7% (40 of 109) and 54.1% (59 of 109) of gastric carcinoma cases, respectively. Expression of Cdx2 and Hep was significantly higher in intestinal-type carcinomas than in diffuse-type carcinomas (P = 0.027 and P = 0.037, respectively). There was a clear negative correlation between Cdx2 expression and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.029), as well as between Hep expression and depth of wall invasion (P = 0.011). The patients with Cdx2-positive or Hep-positive expression shows higher survival rate than those with Cdx2-negative or Hep-negative expression (P = 0.0008 and P = 0.003, respectively). Multivariate analysis revealed that the expression of Cdx2 and Hep were independent prognostic indicators of gastric carcinoma. The combination of Cdx2 and Hep expression was significantly lower in diffuse-type carcinoma than in intestinal or mixed-type carcinoma. Multivariate analysis revealed that Cdx2 and Hep expression was an independent prognostic indicator of gastric carcinoma (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that combined analysis of Cdx2 and Hep has significant value in distinguishing histologic types and in predicting the prognosis of gastric carcinoma.