Biomedical subjects

S Nordling

Publications and source records attributed to S Nordling.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression correlates with poor prognosis in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression is related to poor outcome in several cancers. COX-2 is upregulated in 42-90% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas and is a potential target for chemotherapy. Earlier studies have not shown the expression of COX-2 to be a prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic value of COX-2 in a series of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. METHODS: 128 patients operated on for pancreatic adenocarcinoma at Helsinki University Central Hospital between 1974 and 1998 provided sections from primary tumours which were immunohistochemically stained with a COX-2-antihuman monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Cytoplasmic COX-2 reactivity (>5%) occurred in 46 specimens (36%), correlating neither with age, sex, stage, size, tumour stage, nodal metastases, nor grade. Lack of COX-2 expression correlated with distant metastases (p = 0.026). In univariate survival analysis, COX-2 expression (p = 0.0114), stage (p = 0.0002), grade (p = 0.0001), and age (p = 0.042) had prognostic significance. One, two, and five year survival rates were 51%, 32%, and 8% in the COX-2 negative groups compared with 34%, 5%, and 5% in the COX-2 positive groups (p = 0.011). Prognostic significance was especially high for patients operated on with curative intent (p = 0.004). In multivariate analysis, COX-2 was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio = 1.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.3)). CONCLUSIONS: Expression of COX-2 was associated with poor outcome from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and was independent of tumour stage, grade, or age in multivariate analysis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2006

Decreased xanthine oxidoreductase is a predictor of poor prognosis in early-stage gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is a key enzyme in the degradation of DNA, RNA and high-energy phosphates. About half of the patients with breast cancer have a decrease in XOR expression. Patients with breast cancer with unfavourable prognosis are independently identified by the loss of XOR. AIM: To assess the clinical relevance of XOR expression in gastric cancer. METHODS: XOR levels were studied by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarray specimens of 337 patients with gastric cancer and the relation between XOR expression and a series of clinicopathological variables, as well as disease-specific survival, was assessed. RESULTS: XOR was moderately decreased in 41% and was undetectable in another 14% of the tumours compared with the corresponding normal tissue. Decreased XOR was associated with advanced stage, deep tumour penetration, diffusely spread tumour location, positive lymph node status, large tumour size, non-curative disease, cellular aneuploidy, high S-phase fraction and high cyclooxygenase-2 expression, but not with p53 expression or Borrmann classification. Down regulation of XOR was associated with unfavourable outcome, and the cumulative 5-year gastric cancer-specific survival in patients with strong XOR expression was 47%, compared with 22% in those with moderate to negative expression (p<0.001). This was also true in patients with stage I-II (p = 0.01) and lymph node-negative (p = 0.02) disease, as well as in patients with smaller (< or =5 cm) tumours (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: XOR expression in gastric cancer may be a new marker for a more aggressive gastric cancer biology, similar to that previously reported for breast cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2006

MMP-2 but not MMP-9 associated with COX-2 and survival in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-2 and MMP-9 can degrade type IV collagen of extracellular matrix and basal membranes. As cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) has been shown to activate MMPs, creating one of the COX-2-promoted pathways of tumour growth and metastasis, the prognostic role of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in gastric cancer was assessed and their association with COX-2 expression was evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples were collected from 342 consecutive patients operated on for gastric cancer, of which 315 were acceptable for MMP-2, MMP-9 and COX-2 immunohistochemistry. Specimens were stained with specific antibodies, evaluated and categorised by two interpreters, and then correlated with clinical data and survival. RESULTS: Epithelial MMP-2 immunoreactivity was associated with male sex, high stage, advanced penetration depth, non-curative surgery, high COX-2 expression and poor survival. Stromal MMP-2 expression correlated with high stage, intestinal type and non-curative surgery whereas MMP-9 correlated only with intestinal type. Stage, intent of surgery and COX-2 were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Epithelial MMP-2 expression in gastric cancer is associated with aggressive forms, COX-2 and poor survival, although MMP-2 was not an independent prognostic factor. In gastric cancer tumour growth is apparently induced by COX-2, and invasion is mediated by MMP-2.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2005

Epithelial syndecan-1 expression is associated with stage and grade in colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Loss of epithelial heparan sulfate proteoglycan syndecan-1 has been associated with a more aggressive behavior in various cancer forms, but the prognostic significance of syndecan-1 expression in colorectal cancer is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of immunohistochemical syndecan-1 expression in a series of 237 patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed specimens were stained with a syndecan-1-specific monoclonal antibody, and both the epithelial and stromal expression were analyzed. RESULTS: Epithelial expression of syndecan-1 was seen in 222 tumors (94%), and it was associated with low stage of disease (p = 0.002) and low histological differentiation grade (p = 0.048). The cumulative 5-year survival of patients with weak and strong syndecan-1 expression was 49 and 54 %, respectively (p = 0.234). Syndecan-1 stromal immunoreactivity was observed in 138 tumors (58%), but lacked prognostic significance. Staining pattern and distribution can be viewed from digitized representative microscope slides (virtual slides) at http://www.webmicroscope.net/supplements/syndecan. CONCLUSIONS: The results are in line with previous reports in that low epithelial syndecan-1 expression was associated with a higher histological grade and a more advanced clinical stage of the patients. This study shows that syndecan-1 is expressed also in stromal tissue of colorectal cancer, but it does not support the proposed role of stromal syndecan-1 expression as a marker of poor clinical outcome.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

High tissue expression of tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) associates with a more favourable prognosis in gastric cancer.

AIMS: The tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) is a 6-kDa protease inhibitor with potential inhibitory effects on tissue degradation. In serum, increased levels have been associated with adverse prognosis in different forms of cancer. We assessed the tumour tissue expression and prognostic value of TATI in a surgically treated, single-institution series of patients with gastric cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using a monoclonal anti-TATI antibody, immunohistochemistry was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour specimens from 336 patients. TATI expression was observed in 265 (79%) of the tumours. There was a significant association between high TATI expression and low stage (P = 0.007), superficial tumours (P = 0.005), and absence of nodal (P = 0.015) and of distant metastases (P = 0.022). In univariate analysis, patients with high TATI expression had a significantly more favourable 5-year cumulative survival compared with patients with negative to moderate immunostaining (43% and 28%, respectively, P = 0.006). On multivariate survival analysis stratified for estimated cure of surgery, stage (P < 0.0001) and age (P = 0.022) at the time of surgery were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: High TATI expression in tumour tissue was detected more frequently in patients with early-stage gastric cancer and seems to correlate with a favourable outcome.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2005

Does anyone survive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma? A nationwide study re-evaluating the data of the Finnish Cancer Registry.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide survival data for ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas are the lowest among the 60 most frequent types of organ cancers. Hence published data on long time survivors of this disease are controversial. We performed a nationwide study comprising all Finnish patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the period 1990-1996 who survived for at least five years after diagnosis. METHODS: Data on patients registered as five year survivors of pancreatic cancer were obtained from the Finnish Cancer Registry and Statistics Finland. Slides or paraffin blocks were collected from patients recorded as having histologically proven pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and were re-evaluated in a double blind fashion by three pathologists with special expertise in pancreatic pathology. RESULTS: Between 1990 and 1996, the Finnish Cancer Registry recorded 4922 pancreatic cancer patients, 89 of whom survived for at least five years. Reviewing this series of patients revealed 45 (49%) non-PDACs and 18 cases without histological verification. In 26 patients recorded as having histologically proven PDAC, re-evaluation of histological specimens confirmed PDAC in only 10 patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that (1) the prognosis of PDAC remains poor and (2) careful histopathological review of all patients with pancreatic cancer is mandatory if survival data are to be meaningful.

Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal↗

PubMed2004

Genetic alterations and protein expression of KIT and PDGFRA in serous ovarian carcinoma.

KIT and PDGFRA are receptor tyrosine kinases that can be specifically inactivated by small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, notably imatinib mesylate. In ovarian carcinoma, expression of KIT and PDGFRA protein has been documented, but the frequency and the molecular background of expression are poorly known. We analysed the expression of KIT and PDGFRA by immunohistochemistry in 522 serous ovarian carcinomas, and mutations of KIT and PDGFRA by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatographyin 125 and 187 serous ovarian carcinomas, respectively. No mutations of KIT or PDGFRA were detected. KIT expression was detected in 12% of carcinomas: low expression in 10% and high expression in 2% of cases. Using normal serous epithelium as a reference, decreased PDGFRA expression was detected in 12% and increased expression in 13% of carcinomas. Both KIT and PDGFRA expression were associated with high tumour grade, high proliferation index and poor patient outcome. By fluorescence in situ hybridisation, no KIT amplification was found in carcinomas with high KIT expression, but two cases showed a relative gain of chromosome 4. In conclusion, no mutations of KIT or PDGFRA were found, but a subset of serous ovarian carcinoma showed overexpression of the proteins, which was associated with aggressive tumour characteristics.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed2004

L1CAM, INP10, P-cadherin, tPA and ITGB4 over-expression in malignant pleural mesotheliomas revealed by combined use of cDNA and tissue microarray.

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MM) is a rare tumour with high mortality, which can exhibit various morphologies classified as epithelioid, biphasic and sarcomatoid subtypes. To investigate the molecular changes in these tumours, we studied gene expression patterns by combined use of cDNA arrays and tumour tissue microarrays (TMA). Deregulation of the expression of 588 cancer-related genes was screened in 16 MM comprising all three subtypes and compared with references, i.e. normal mesothelial cell lines and pleural mesothelium. Array data were analysed using three statistical methods; principal component analysis (PCA), permutation test and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Eleven genes were verified by real-time RT-PCR. Genes encoding two adhesion molecules [COL1A2 and integrin beta4 (ITGB4)] and a chemokine (INP10) were up-regulated in MM compared with both the cell lines and pleural mesothelium. There was a type-specific up-regulation of semaphorin E, ITGB4 and P-cadherin in epithelioid MM, matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP9) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) in sarcomatoid MM and neural cell adhesion molecule L1 (L1CAM) and INP10 in biphasic MM. Immunohistochemistry on TMA containing 47 MM (26 epithelioid, 15 sarcomatoid and six biphasic) was performed for five proteins, ITGB4, P-cadherin, tPA, INP10 and L1CAM. INP10 expression was increased in MM in general compared with normal mesothelium, while increased expression of P-cadherin, L1CAM and ITGB4 was more specific in MMs exhibiting an epithelioid growth pattern. The over-expression of tPA was more frequent in epithelioid MM despite higher mRNA levels in sarcomatoid and biphasic MM. We conclude that several proteins, associated with cell adhesion either directly (ITGB4, L1CAM, P-cadherin) or as a regulatory factor (INP10), are differentially expressed in MM. In particular, INP10, ITGB4 and COL1A2 were up-regulated in MM compared with both reference sample types, suggesting a relationship with development of these tumours.

Cell Adhesion↗

PubMed2004

Expression of COX-2 is increased with age in papillary thyroid cancer.

AIMS: To study cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Expression of COX-2 is elevated in various human tumours and it has an important role in carcinogenesis. MMP-2 is also an important component of the metastatic potential of tumours. In PTC the most important factor affecting survival is age, but it is poorly understood why older PTC patients have a worse prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: This retrospective study comprised 108 patients with PTC, and we compared patients who were either younger than 35 (n = 59) or older than 55 (n = 49). Paraffin-embedded tumour samples were analysed for COX-2 and MMP-2 protein expression using immunohistochemistry. High (scores 2-3) COX-2 immunostaining was observed in 38/108 (35%) of the tumours, and COX-2 expression was significantly (P = 0.002) higher in the older age group (25/49; 51%) than in the young one (13/59; 22%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that COX-2 expression increases with age. It is possible that the age-related increase in COX-2 expression could explain the more aggressive behaviour of PTC in the older age group compared with the young one.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Tenascin C expression is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and correlates with differentiation.

BACKGROUND: Tenascin C is a large, hexameric, extracellular matrix protein that is present during embryonic development but essentially absent in adult tissues. It is involved in remodelling processes, such as wound healing and tumour development. Tissue expression of tenascin C correlates with prognosis in colorectal, cervical, and breast cancer and in carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. AIM: To study the expression of tenascin C in pancreatic cancer and to compare the staining results with the patients' clinicopathological data. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Formalin fixed, paraffin wax embedded specimens from 146 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma were stained with an anti-tenascin C monoclonal antibody. RESULTS: Tenascin C immunoreactivity was seen in most samples of pancreatic carcinoma: staining was weak in 72 (49%), moderate in 52 (36%), strong in 10 (7%), and negative in 12 (8%) samples. Tenascin C expression correlated with age (< or = 66 v >66 years) and poor differentiation (grades 1-2 v 3). There was no correlation between tenascin C expression and survival, clinical stage, tumour size, nodal status, distant metastasis, tumour location, or sex. CONCLUSION: Tenascin C expression was increased in most pancreatic carcinomas, but contrary to the results in other cancers, it is not a prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2004

Cavoatrial extension of renal cell cancer: results of operative treatment in Helsinki University Hospital between 1990 and 2000.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate the technical procedures and the post-operative survival of patients having been operated for renal cell cancer with cavoatrial tumour thrombus (RCC-T). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1990 and 2000 the cardiac unit at Helsinki University Central Hospital operated on seven patients for RCC-T. A cardiac surgeon along with a urologist, performed all seven operations using sternolaparotomy (either midline or Chevron incision) with cardiopulmonary bypass. RESULTS: The average duration of the operations was eight hours (range 6-11 hours) and the average perfusion time was 118 minutes (range 35-206). Hypothermic circulatory arrest was used for one patient with an arrest time of 31 minutes. Only with one patient could the cavotomy be closed directly. In four patients a cava resection was performed and closed either with a pericardium patch or a Gore-Tex prosthesis. In two patients the cava was ligated below the renal veins. During the post-operative intensive care, there were two deaths. Of the remaining patients, five were alive after six months, four after 12 months, three after six years and one patient is still alive after 12 years of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In agreement with previously published results, although peri-operative mortality is relatively high with RCC-T patients, long-term post-operative survival is possible.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Loss of p27 expression is associated with poor prognosis in stage I-II pancreatic cancer.

OBJECTIVE: p27 is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor that prevents progression of the cell cycle from G1 phase. Postranscriptional loss of p27 correlates with poor prognosis in various solid tumors. In pancreatic cancer, the loss of p27 expression has been correlated with high tumor grade and advanced clinical stage, but data on its prognostic value are lacking. METHOD: In this retrospective study, the association between immunohistochemical p27 expression and prognosis was evaluated in 147 patients with pancreatic cancer using a commercial anti-Kip1/p27 monoclonal antibody. RESULT: p27 expression was generally low; in 103 of the 147 pancreatic cancer tumors examined, no nuclear staining was observed and in only 5 specimens did more than 50% of the nuclei stain, probably reflecting the aggressive nature of the disease. Loss of p27 expression was associated with poor prognosis in stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma; the 5-year survival for p27 negative patients was 3.6% compared with 20% for p27-positive patients (p = 0.03). In a multivariate survival analysis in patients with stage I-II disease, p27 (HR 1.8) was a significant prognostic factor, independent of grade (RR 2.9). There was no association between p27 and other clinical variables. In conclusion, tissue expression of p27 is a significant predictor of 5-year survival in stage I-II pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Tissue expression of human chorionic gonadotropin beta predicts outcome in colorectal cancer: a comparison with serum expression.

Production of the glycoprotein hormone human chorionic gonadotropin beta (hCGbeta) has been associated with more aggressive behavior in non-trophoblastic tumors. In this study, the prognostic value of immunohistochemical hCGbeta expression was evaluated in 239 patients with colorectal cancer. Paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed specimens were stained with hCGbeta-specific monoclonal antibody, and the results were compared with serum levels determined with an assay based on the same antibody. hCGbeta immunoreactivity was seen in 52 of 239 tumors (22%). The difference in survival time between patients with histologically hCGbeta-negative (median survival 94 months) and -positive (median survival 27 months) tumors was statistically significant (p = 0.014). The risk ratio during follow-up for patients with positive hCGbeta tissue expression was 1.65 (95% CI 1.11-2.46). In a Cox multivariate analysis, Dukes' stage, hCGbeta and age remained independent prognostic factors. There was moderate agreement between immunohistochemical and serum expression levels of hCGbeta (kappa = 0.30). Using a combination of histological and serum levels of hCGbeta, the difference between survival rates was highly significant (p < 0.001). The accuracy when predicting 5-year survival status with the combined results of serum and tissue expression was 1.3% higher compared to hCGbeta tissue expression alone. Our results show that hCGbeta expression in both tumor tissue and serum has prognostic significance independent of other clinicopathological variables. Positive tumor staining does not always occur together with elevated serum levels, and the prognostic accuracy can slightly be increased by combining the results.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Epithelial and stromal syndecan-1 expression as predictor of outcome in patients with gastric cancer.

The prognostic value of the immunohistochemical expression of epithelial and stromal syndecan-1 was evaluated in 296 patients with gastric carcinoma. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens of gastric adenocarcinomas were stained with mouse monoclonal antibody B-B4 against human syndecan-1. Loss of immunoreactivity (syndecan-1 immunoreactivity correlated with a higher stage of disease (stages II-IV), tumour location in the upper third of the stomach, nodal metastases (N1 or N2), positive stromal syndecan-1 staining, deep tumour penetration (to subserosa or deeper = T2-T4), larger tumour size (> or = 5 cm) and intestinal type of cancer. No correlation between epithelial syndecan-1 immunoreactivity and age, gender, distant metastases, grade of differentiation or Borrmann classification was observed. Positive stromal syndecan-1 immunoreactivity correlated with decreased epithelial syndecan-1 expression, intestinal type of cancer and Borrmann type I. Patients with low epithelial syndecan-1 expression in cancer cells had worse overall survival than patients with strong epithelial syndecan-1 staining (p = 0.0012). Stromal syndecan-1-positive patients had a worse outcome than patients with syndecan-1-negative stroma (p = 0.0193). In Cox multivariate analysis, stromal syndecan-1 immunoreactivity was a prognostic factor independent of TNM stage, surgery for cure and tumour size. Thus, the immunohistochemical expression of syndecan-1 might be a predictor of outcome in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in human transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder.

Recent studies suggest that expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is elevated in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder and that inhibition of Cox-2 activity suppresses bladder cancer in experimental animal models. We have investigated the expression of Cox-2 protein in human TCCs (n = 85), in in situ carcinomas (Tis) of the urinary bladder (n = 17), and in nonneoplastic urinary bladder samples (n = 16) using immunohistochemistry. Cox-2 immunoreactivity was detected in 66% (67 of 102) of the carcinomas, whereas only 25% (4 of 16) of the nonneoplastic samples were positive (P: < 0.005). Cox-2 immunoreactivity localized to neoplastic cells in the carcinoma samples. The rate of positivity was the same in invasive (T1-3; 70%, n = 40) and in noninvasive (Tis and Ta; 65%, n = 62) carcinomas, but noninvasive tumors had a higher frequency (32%) of homogenous pattern of staining (>90% of the tumor cells positive) than the invasive carcinomas (10%) (P: < 0.05). However, several invasive TCCs exhibited the strongest intensity of Cox-2 staining in the invading cells, whereas other parts of the tumor were virtually negative. Finally, strong Cox-2 positivity was also found in nonneoplastic ulcerations (2 of 2) and in inflammatory pseudotumors (2 of 2), in which the immunoreactivity localized to the nonepithelial cells. Taken together, our data suggest that Cox-2 is highly expressed in noninvasive bladder carcinomas, whereas the highest expression of invasive tumors associated with the invading cells, and that Cox-2 may also have a pathophysiological role in nonneoplastic conditions of the urinary bladder, such as ulcerations and inflammatory pseudotumors.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

DNA copy number profiling in esophageal Barrett adenocarcinoma: comparison with gastric adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

We screened 18 specimens of Barrett adenocarcinoma for genetic alterations using comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to analyze DNA copy number changes. The most common gains were at 20q (56%) and 17q (39%). High-level amplifications were observed in the same chromosomes. The most common losses were in chromosomes 4 (22%) and 5 (22%). Other recurrent changes were gains of chromosomes 8, 10q, and 13. We compared the copy number changes in Barrett adenocarcinoma and those previously reported in the intestinal type of stomach carcinoma. The similarities we found suggest a common molecular pathogenesis, whereas dissimilarities seen between Barrett adenocarcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma are in keeping with a well-known different etiology.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed2001

p27 expression correlates with short-term, but not with long-term prognosis in breast cancer.

UNLABELLED: New prognostic and predictive factors are needed to adjust more appropriate therapy for individual patients after operation. p27 is a cell cycle regulator, and a low tissue expression of this protein has been shown to correlate with poor prognosis in colorectal, lung, gastric, prostate, and breast cancer. In this study on 197 breast cancer patients with a median follow-up of 17 years, the prognostic value of immunohistochemical p27 expression was evaluated. After 5 years of follow-up patients with a p27 expression in less than 50% of the tumor cells had a significantly lower survival rate than those with an expression above this level (p = 0.01). However, after longer follow-up the difference decreased and was no longer significant at 7 years (p = 0.1) or when the entire follow-up period was examined (p=0.67). Tests for associations showed that a low p27 expression correlated with a high histologic grade, a high S-phase fraction (SPF), an advanced TNM stage and negative hormone receptor status. IN CONCLUSION: Tissue expression of p27 is a significant predictor of 5-year, but not of 10- or 15-year breast cancer specific survival.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Specific staining of human chorionic gonadotropin beta in benign and malignant gastrointestinal tissues with monoclonal antibodies.

AIMS: Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) beta in serum is a promising tumour marker for gastrointestinal malignancies. Our aim was to investigate the expression of hCGbeta by immunohistochemistry in various gastrointestinal cancers and benign tissues. METHODS AND RESULTS: A monoclonal antibody (MAb) specific for free hCGbeta was used to stain 107 tissue samples from various gastrointestinal malignancies and 36 benign or normal tissue samples. The specificity of the staining was verified and the results compared with those obtained with a widely used commercial polyclonal antibody (PAb) which reacts with both free hCGbeta and intact hCG, as well as with luteinizing hormone beta. With the MAb, we observed positive immunohistochemical staining in 24% of the malignant gastrointestinal tumours. Gastric (60%) and pancreatic (56%) carcinomas, as well as extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (36%), were positive most frequently. We also discovered immunoreactivity in half of the non-malignant samples from pancreatic and biliary tissues. With the PAb, hCG immunoreactivity was evident more frequently in some cancers, but the staining was diffuse and occasionally polymorphonuclear leucocytes were strongly stained. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that our MAbs specific for hCGbeta are well suited for immunohistochemistry. Our results confirm previous findings on gastrointestinal cancers and, furthermore, we demonstrate hCGbeta tissue expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The results support reports on hCGbeta as a serum tumour marker for digestive tract diseases.

Adenocarcinoma↗