Microsatellite instability in gastric carcinoma with special references to histopathology and cancer stages

To study the molecular mechanism of gastric carcinogenesis, the frequencies of microsatellite instability were evaluated with seven dinucleotide repeat loci in 59 patients with gastric carcinoma. Microsatellite instability at two or more loci was found in 41.5% (17/41) of advanced gastric carcinoma, 21.4% (3/14) of early gastric carcinoma, but not in remnant gastric carcinoma (0/4), with an overall frequency of 33.9% (20/59). Diffuse gastric carcinoma had a similar prevalence (32.1%, 9/28) to intestinal gastric carcinoma (40.7%, 11/27). The frequency of microsatellite instability in gastric carcinoma was not significantly different with respect to age, sex and Helicobacter pylori infection. Microsatellite instability tended to occur more frequently in cancers of the cardia (62.5%, 5/8) compared with cancers of other stomach regions (31.9%, 15/47), but the difference was not statistically significant. These data suggest that microsatellite instability occurs in early gastric carcinoma and its occurrence increases during tumour progression. Furthermore, its frequency was independent of age, gender, histological types and Helicobacter pylori infection.