[Immunohistochemical study on the relationship between cancer cell growth and stroma changes of gastric carcinoma]

To elucidate the stromal characteristics in gastric carcinoma, the localization of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (PGs), fibronectin (FN), and type IV collagen was observed by immunohistochemical methods in 46 surgically resected stomachs including 41 carcinomas, 2 adenomas, and 3 ulcers. Chondroitin 4-sulfate PG revealed by 9A2 antibody and FN were distributed abundantly in the stroma of gastric carcinoma. On the other hand chondroitin 6-sulfate PG revealed by 3B3 antibody and type IV collagen were located more broadly in the stroma of undifferentiated carcinoma, especially scirrhous carcinoma than differentiated carcinoma. Type IV collagen was ultrastructurally localized around smooth muscle cells, myofibroblasts, and capillaries. And Bromodeoxyuridine was labelled in the stromal cells including endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells whose proliferative activities were suggested. In addition to carcinoma, muscularis mucosae of adenoma and ulcer were stained by 3B3 antibody. In gastric carcinoma, extracellular matrix was more strikingly distributed compared with noncarcinomatous region and in particular, stromal changes may be promoted by cancer cells in scirrhous carcinoma. These results suggest that specific stromal changes in gastric carcinoma may be related with the histologic types and growth patterns.