Evaluation of the expression of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts in the stroma of gastric cancer tissue.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) generated by bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) play an important role in cancer progression. In this study, we investigated the relationships of BM-MSCs and CAFs in resected gastric cancers with the clinicopathological factors of patients. We analyzed 120 gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy. Immunostaining was performed with an anti-CD271 antibody (BM-MSCs) and anti-α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) antibody (CAFs). Staining intensity was used to divide patients into low and high expression groups. Observation sites in cancer tissues were invasive, central, and whole portions. Expression of αSMA was significantly related to depth of tumor invasion (T), lymph node metastasis (N), lymphatic invasion (ly), venous invasion (v), and stage. Expression of CD271 was significantly related to v, stage, stromal volume, and tumor infiltration pattern (INF). Overall survival (OS) of the high expression group was significantly lower than that of the low expression group for both αSMA and CD271. Multivariate analysis showed that N, αSMA (whole), and CD271 (invasive) were independent prognostic factors. Cancer-associated fibroblasts and BM-MSCs are related to the progression, invasion, and prognosis of gastric cancer and may be therapeutic targets of gastric cancer.

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© 2020 The Authors. Annals of Gastroenterological Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Japanese Society of Gastroenterology Surgery.

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Funding: This study was not funded. Conflicts of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interests for this article. Author Contribution: The conception or design of the work, or acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data for the work: Taizan Minami, Keishiro Aoyagi, Taro Isobe, Yuya Tanaka, Hideaki Kaku. Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content: Taizan Minami, Keishiro Aoyagi. Analysis of histological findings or performing immunohistochemical staining: Taizan Minami, Keishiro Aoyagi, Akihiko Kawahara. Final approval of the version to be published; Keishiro Aoyagi, Naotaka Murakami, Fumihiko Fujita, Yoshito Akagi. Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work: Yoshito Akagi.