Human chorionic gonadotropin in gastric carcinoma

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To investigate the production of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in gastric carcinoma, 124 gastric carcinomas and a choriocarcinoma with adenocarcinoma were examined immunohistochemically, using anti-hCGα andβ antibodies. In choriocarcinoma, many trophoblastic cells were synchronously positive for both subunits. In contrast, the distribution of hCG-subunits in gastric carcinoma was unbalanced with hCGα in 39 and hCGβ in 63 cases. 26 cases contained α andβ positive cells, whereas synchronous cells were extremely rare in four cases. Incidences of hCG-subunit-positivities were not different between early and advanced carcinomas. HCGα-positive cells appeared endocrine-like in papillotubular carcinomas and some positive cells were argyrophilic in serial sections in 23 of 39 cases. HCGβ-positive cells were much more frequent in deranged glands, especially of microtubular-mucocellular carcinomas and most were not argyrophilic. In surrounding non-neoplastic mucosa, hCGα-positive cells were more numerous with endocrine-like configurations, but hCGβ-positive cells were rarely present in deranged glands. Although subunit-profile of hCG in gastric carcinomas was different from that of normal, the difference may be quantitative: hCG-subunits may be expressed through an independent mechanism but commonly in gastric mucosa and carcinoma. These results are also discussed in relation to trophoblastic tumours arising in non-trophoblastic tissues.