[A ornithine decarboxylase activity and proliferating cell nuclear antigen in gastric cancer]

To investigate ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in gastric cancer, ODC activity and PCNA were measured in 50 resected samples. The relationship between both and clinicopathologic factors was examined. ODC activity was 473.3 +/- 54.7 pmol CO2/60 min/mg protein in tumors, and 273.5 +/- 38.3 pmol CO2/60 min/mg protein in normal mucosa. ODC activity in tumors was significantly higher than that of normal mucosa. ODC activity in tumors was significantly high in gross type 4, maximum diameter more than 10 cm, depth se, infiltrative growth (INF) gamma, positive lymph vessel invasion and positive lymph node metastasis. PCNA-LI was 24.7 +/- 1.5% in tumors, and 13.9 +/- 1.1% in normal mucosa. PCNA-LI of tumors was significantly higher than that of normal mucosa. PCNA-LI of tumors was significantly high in gross type 2, histological type tub 2 and por, depth ss beta and se, IFN beta, positive lymph vessel invasion, positive venous invasion, and positive lymph node metastasis. ODC activity and PCNA-LI were closely related in normal mucosa, showing a correlation coefficient of 0.730. On the other hand, their relationship was weak in tumors, showing a correlation coefficient of 0.417. These results suggest the differentiation of value between ODC activity and PCNA-LI in gastric cancer. In gastric cancer, ODC activity and PCNA-LI in tumors may be good markers of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, PCNA-LI may be a good marker of hematogenous metastasis.