Cyclin E immunoexpression in gastric cancer does not correlate with clinicopathological parameters.

Aims:  To ascertain whether cyclin E immunoexpression relates to clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer and is of possible routine use. Methods and results:  One hundred and twenty-four gastrectomy specimens were assessed for age, gender, histological subtype, lymph node status and Helicobacter pylori infection. Immunohistochemistry using a commercially available antibody to cyclin E was then applied to the cases. The immunohistochemical staining was correlated with clinicopathological features. Fifty-three of 124 cases were cyclin E-positive, with 28 of these cases showing >50% of the tumour cells staining. However, no statistical significance was obtained between cyclin E immunostaining and any clinicopathological parameter, especially lymph node spread. Conclusions:  We have not demonstrated any significant relationship between cyclin E immunopositivity and any of the usual clinicopathological parameters (especially lymph node involvement) and therefore cyclin E immunohistochemistry alone does not appear to have a role in the assessment of gastric cancer currently.