The cooperative role of p27 with cyclin E in the prognosis of advanced gastric carcinoma

BACKGROUND. Cyclin E and p27 play opposing roles in the cell cycle. This study investigated the protein expression of p27 with cyclin E in the progression and prognosis of gastric carcinoma. METHODS. Of 241 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma, 38 had muscular layer invasion, 113 had subserosal layer invasion, and 90 had serosal invasion. Anti-p27 and cyclin E antibodies were used for immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS. Positive expression of p27 and cyclin E was 32.4% and 38.2%, respectively. Both p27 and cyclin E expression were related to histology of tumors but not to depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, or stage grouping. A positive correlation was observed between p27 and cyclin E expression (P < 0.05). Tumors were divided into two groups according to the expression of cyclin E. Within the cyclin E positive tumors, the five-year survival rate was higher in patients with a p27 positive tumor than in those with a p27 negative tumor (P < 0.05). Patients with cyclin E positive tumors showing low expression of p27 had a poor prognosis. In cyclin E negative group tumors, no significant differences were observed irrespective of p27 expression. CONCLUSIONS. Reduced p27 expression is a negative prognostic factor for patients with cyclin E positive tumors. (C) 2000 American Cancer Society.