Pancreatic trypsinogen and cathepsin B expression was evaluated in 44 surgically resected gastric carcinomas by immunohistochemical analysis. Carcinomatous tissues were subjected to immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against human pancreatic trypsinogen and a polyclonal antibody against human cathepsin B. As a result, twenty-two of 24 scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas (92%) expressed pancreatic trypsinogen intensely and diffusely in a fine granular pattern over the entire cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. In contrast, only 5 of 20 intestinal-type gastric carcinomas (25%) reacted with the trypsinogen specific antibody and then only focally, in a fine granular pattern in the supra-nuclear cytoplasm of carcinoma cells. Cathepsin B expression was detected in 20 of 24 scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas (84%) in a fine, diffuse, granular pattern in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells, while only 2 of 20 intestinal-type gastric carcinomas (10%) had detectable cathepsin B. From these results, we find that scirrhous-type gastric carcinomas express abundant quantities of pancreatic trypsinogen and cathepsin B immunoreactive peptides.

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