help button home button Am J Pathol R & D Systems
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Purchase Article
Right arrow View Shopping Cart
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Tokunou, M.
Right arrow Articles by Hirohashi, S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Tokunou, M.
Right arrow Articles by Hirohashi, S.
(American Journal of Pathology. 2001;158:1451-1463.)
© 2001 American Society for Investigative Pathology


Regular Articles

c-MET Expression in Myofibroblasts

Role in Autocrine Activation and Prognostic Significance in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Masahide Tokunou*{dagger}, Toshiro Niki*, Keisuke Eguchi*, Sanae Iba*, Hitoshi Tsuda*, Tesshi Yamada*, Yoshihiro Matsuno*, Haruhiko Kondo{ddagger}, Yukihito Saitoh{dagger}, Hiroji Imamura{dagger} and Setsuo Hirohashi*

From the Pathology Division,*
National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo; the Surgical Division,{ddagger}
National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo; and the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery,{dagger}
Kansai Medical University, Osaka, Japan

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) plays important roles in tumor development and progression. It is currently thought that the main action of HGF is of a paracrine nature: HGF produced by mesenchymal cells acts on epithelial cells that express its receptor c-MET. In this investigation, we explored the significance of c-MET expression in myofibroblasts, both in culture and in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. We first showed that human myofibroblasts derived from primary lung cancer expressed c-MET mRNA and protein by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. Proliferation of myofibroblasts was stimulated in a dose-dependent manner by exogenously added recombinant human HGF whereas it was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by neutralizing antibody to HGF. The addition of HGF in the culture medium stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of c-MET. The c-MET protein was immunohistochemically detected in myofibroblasts in the invasive area of lung adenocarcinoma. Finally, the prognostic significance of c-MET expression in stromal myofibroblasts was explored in patients with small-sized lung adenocarcinomas. c-MET-positive myofibroblasts were observed in 69 of 131 cases (53%). A significant relationship between myofibroblast c-MET expression and shortened patient survival was observed in a whole cohort of patients including all pathological stages (two-sided P = 0.0089 by log-rank test) and in patients with stage IA disease (two-sided P = 0.0019 by log-rank test). These data suggest that the HGF/c-MET system constitutes an autocrine activation loop in cancer-stromal myofibroblasts. This autocrine system may play a role in invasion and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma.





This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Molecular Cancer TherapeuticsHome page
Y. Yang, M. Wislez, N. Fujimoto, L. Prudkin, J. G. Izzo, F. Uno, L. Ji, A. E. Hanna, R. R. Langley, D. Liu, et al.
A selective small molecule inhibitor of c-Met, PHA-665752, reverses lung premalignancy induced by mutant K-ras
Mol. Cancer Ther., April 1, 2008; 7(4): 952 - 960.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Clin. Pathol.Home page
C-Q Zhu, W Shih, C-H Ling, and M-S Tsao
Immunohistochemical markers of prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer: a review and proposal for a multiphase approach to marker evaluation.
J. Clin. Pathol., August 1, 2006; 59(8): 790 - 800.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CarcinogenesisHome page
L. P. Stabile, J. S. Lyker, S. R. Land, S. Dacic, B. A. Zamboni, and J. M. Siegfried
Transgenic mice overexpressing hepatocyte growth factor in the airways show increased susceptibility to lung cancer
Carcinogenesis, August 1, 2006; 27(8): 1547 - 1555.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
CarcinogenesisHome page
M. Galie, C. Sorrentino, M. Montani, L. Micossi, E. Di Carlo, T. D'Antuono, L. Calderan, P. Marzola, D. Benati, F. Merigo, et al.
Mammary carcinoma provides highly tumourigenic and invasive reactive stromal cells
Carcinogenesis, November 1, 2005; 26(11): 1868 - 1878.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Clin. Cancer Res.Home page
S. Singhal, A. Vachani, D. Antin-Ozerkis, L. R. Kaiser, and S. M. Albelda
Prognostic Implications of Cell Cycle, Apoptosis, and Angiogenesis Biomarkers in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Review
Clin. Cancer Res., June 1, 2005; 11(11): 3974 - 3986.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
ChestHome page
J. M. Siegfried, J. D. Luketich, L. P. Stabile, N. Christie, and S. R. Land
Elevated Hepatocyte Growth Factor Level Correlates With Poor Outcome in Early-Stage and Late-Stage Adenocarcinoma of the Lung
Chest, May 1, 2004; 125(5_suppl): 116S - 119S.
[Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Physiol. Rev.Home page
M. Mareel and A. Leroy
Clinical, Cellular, and Molecular Aspects of Cancer Invasion
Physiol Rev, April 1, 2003; 83(2): 337 - 376.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Cancer Res.Home page
M. Wislez, N. Rabbe, J. Marchal, B. Milleron, B. Crestani, C. Mayaud, M. Antoine, P. Soler, and J. Cadranel
Hepatocyte Growth Factor Production by Neutrophils Infiltrating Bronchioloalveolar Subtype Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma: Role in Tumor Progression and Death
Cancer Res., March 15, 2003; 63(6): 1405 - 1412.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Biol. Chem.Home page
J. Vadnais, G. Nault, Z. Daher, M. Amraei, Y. Dodier, I. R. Nabi, and J. Noel
Autocrine Activation of the Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor/Met Tyrosine Kinase Induces Tumor Cell Motility by Regulating Pseudopodial Protrusion
J. Biol. Chem., December 6, 2002; 277(50): 48342 - 48350.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
J. Cell Biol.Home page
J. Chung, R. E. Bachelder, E. A. Lipscomb, L. M. Shaw, and A. M. Mercurio
Integrin ({alpha}6{beta}4) regulation of eIF-4E activity and VEGF translation: a survival mechanism for carcinoma cells
J. Cell Biol., July 8, 2002; 158(1): 165 - 174.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]




HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2001 by the American Society for Investigative Pathology.