Abstract
Context:Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (βHCG), a marker of the trophoblastic neoplasm,
is also secreted by non-trophoblastic neoplasms including gastric carcinomas. Its
role in disease progression remains unclear.Aim:To investigate the incidence of βHCG positivity in gastric carcinomas and correlate
its presence with the biological behavior of the tumor.Setting and Design:A hospital-based, immunohistochemical study.Materials and Methods:One hundred and fifty formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from histopathologically
confirmed cases of gastric carcinoma were immunostained using an indigenously developed
antibody against βHCG. Tumors with diffuse reactivity to βHCG were considered as positive.
Those with occasional, focal or no reactivity to βHCG were considered as negative.Statistical Analysis:Differences in βHCG staining were compared according to the histological grade and
surgical stage using the χ2test. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, the time
till the onset of development of an adverse outcome after surgery (defined as death,
local or distant metastasis) was compared between the bHCG positive and negative tumors.Results:Twenty-eight (18.7%) of the 150 specimens were βHCG positive. No association was found
between the histological grade (P=0.49) and the surgical stage (P=0.19) with βHCG
positivity. The median disease-free survival after surgery was not different among
bHCG positive and negative tumors. Risk of an adverse outcome after surgery was significantly
associated with the stage of the tumor (Hazard ratio=2.9, 95% confidence interval:
1.1-7.4). No association was observed with grade or βHCG positivity.Conclusion:βHCG immunoreactivity was observed in about one-fifth of the gastric cancers. bHCG
reactivity, however, played no role in the biological behavior.
Keywords
βHCG - gastric carcinoma - immunohistochemistry - prognosis
