[Detection of tenascin in stomach cancer. An immunohistochemical study]

Tenascin, a glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix, is involved in epithelial proliferation, differentiation and cell migration during embryonic development. Later on, it is important in proliferative processes like tumor growth and wound healing. We examined the distribution of tenascin, especially in the stroma near basement membranes, in paraffin sections from 25 patients with gastric cancer by immunohistological staining with regard to tumor staging, grading and Lauren classification. In two series we used a monoclonal and a polyclonal antibody against human tenascin. In most of the sections there was a more intensive staining of the surrounding stroma in areas close to the tumor, which could indicate the direction of tumor growth. In highly differentiated tumors we found a positive, yet discontinuous staining close to the basement membrane. In contrast to this, we saw a more diffuse reaction of the stroma with network-like staining of the collagen fibres in undifferentiated tumors. In lymph nodes we also detected a small number of tumor cells by staining of the surrounding stroma.