Overestimation of clinical N-staging in microsatellite instable gastric cancers is associated with VEGF-C signaling and CD8+ T-cell dynamics.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Microsatellite instable (MSI) gastric cancers exhibit reduced lymph node (LN) metastasis and improved survival compared to microsatellite stable (MSS) counterparts. However, to our longstanding observation, clinical N-staging (cN) is frequently overestimated in MSI cases. The clinical implications and underlying mechanisms of this discrepancy warrant further investigation.

Materials and methods

We conducted a comprehensive review of clinicopathological data from a 141 MSI and 1119 MSS gastric cancer patients. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and its receptor VEGFR-3 were assessed using qPCR and immunohistochemistry. High-parameter flow cytometry was employed to analyze subsets of CD8+ T cells within the tumors.

Results

Multivariat

SUBMITTER: Tsai CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12311297 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature