CD147 and MMP-9 expressions in type II/III adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction and their clinicopathological significances

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate CD147 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expressions in type II/III adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG), and their clinicopathological significances.

Methods: Seventy-four patients clinically and pathologically diagnosed with type II/III AEG were analyzed, each undergoing radical total gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y esophagojejunostomy. The avidin streptavidin-perosidase immunohistochemistry technique was used to detect CD147 and MMP-9 in type II/III AEGs and 20 para-tumor controls, and their correlations with clinicopathological data and their reciprocal relationship were then analyzed. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was conducted to reveal their prognostic significances. SPSS 20.0 was used for data analysis. A difference was statistically significant with P < 0.05, and very significant with P < 0.01.

Results: In type II/III AEG CD147 and MMP-9 were mainly expressed on cellular membrane of in tumor cell cytoplasm. MMP-9 expression was significantly stronger at tumor-stroma junction and front edge of invasion. Their positive rates were significantly higher in malignant tissues than para-tumor tissues (P < 0.01 for both). There existed a significant positive correlation between both expressions (P < 0.05). They were significantly more highly expressed in cancers with lymphatic metastasis (P < 0.01 for both), at TNM III/IV stages (P < 0.01 for both), and with poor differentiation grade (P < 0.05 for both). Higher CD147 and MMP-9 expression rates were correlated with inferior postsurgical survivals (P < 0.05 for both).

Conclusions: CD147 and MMP-9 could be novel biomarkers for type II/III AEG, and potentially predict tumor progression and prognosis. They are worth further investigation.

Keywords: Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction; CD147; matrix metalloproteinase 9; prognosis; tumor progression.

Figure 1

Expressions of CD147 and MMP-9 in para-AEG tissue. Immunohistochemical staining showed that CD147 (A) and MMP-9 (B) were very weakly or negatively expressed in para-AEG tissues (high power field, ×400). MMP-9, matrix metalloproteinase 9; AEG, adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.

Figure 2

Different expression levels of CD147 and MMP-9 in AEG tissues. Revealed by immunohistochemical staining in AEG tissues, weakly positive (A), moderately positive (B), and strongly positive (C) CD147 expressions were indicated by yellow or brown color in cytoplasm or on cellular membrane, and weakly positive (D), moderately positive (E), and strongly positive (F) MMP-9 expressions were illustrated by brown color in cytoplasm (high power field, × 400). MMP-9, matrix metalloproteinase 9; AEG, adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.