Increased Midkine Gene Expression in Human Gastrointestinal Cancers

• Published in: Cancer science 1995-07, Vol.86 (7), p.655-661
• Main Authors: Aridome, Kuniaki, Tsutsui, Jun‐ichiro, Takao, Sonshin, Kadomatsu, Kenji, Ozawa, Masayuki, Aikou, Takashi, Muramatsu, Takashi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adenocarcinoma; Adenoma; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Bile Duct Neoplasms - metabolism; Bile Duct Neoplasms - pathology; Bile ducts; Biological and medical sciences; Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - pathology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - surgery; Carrier Proteins - analysis; Carrier Proteins - biosynthesis; Cell differentiation; Colon; Colorectal Neoplasms - metabolism; Colorectal Neoplasms - pathology; Colorectal Neoplasms - surgery; Cytokines - biosynthesis; Duodenal Neoplasms - metabolism; Duodenal Neoplasms - pathology; Duodenal Neoplasms - surgery; Esophageal Neoplasms - metabolism; Esophageal Neoplasms - pathology; Esophageal Neoplasms - surgery; Esophagus; Female; Gastric cancer; Gastric carcinoma; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; Gastrointestinal cancer; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - metabolism; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - pathology; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms - surgery; Gene Expression; Growth factor; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - pathology; Liver Neoplasms - secondary; Liver Neoplasms - surgery; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Midkine; Pancreas; Pancreatic Neoplasms - metabolism; Pancreatic Neoplasms - pathology; Pancreatic Neoplasms - surgery; Polyposis; Retinoic acid; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Stomach Neoplasms - metabolism; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Stomach Neoplasms - surgery; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Tumors
• ISSN: 0910-5050; 1347-9032; 1349-7006; 1876-4673
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1995.tb02449.x

Midkine (MK) is a product of a retinoic acid‐responsive gene, and is a novel growth differentiation factor. We examined the expression of the MK gene in specimens of 47 surgically removed human carcinomas of the gastrointestinal organs, namely, gastric, colorectal, hepatocellular, pancreatic, esophageal, ampullary duodenal and bile duct carcinomas. In most cases, the MK mRNA level was higher in cancer specimens than in the corresponding non‐cancerous tissues. Furthermore, MK mRNA was more highly expressed in the colon adenocarcinoma lesion than in the adenoma lesions, in the two familial polyposis cases. While MK mRNA was not detected in the normal liver, it became detectable in cirrhotic tissues in 2 of 4 cases, and its expression was increased in the cancerous tissues. Thus, the increase of MK mRNA level is a phenomenon seen in many human gastrointestinal carcinomas. The increased expression of the MK gene in gastric carcinoma was significantly more prominent in well and moderately differentiated adenocarcinomas than in poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas and signet ring cell carcinomas.