Expression of CD44 variants in gastric carcinoma with or without Epstein‐Barr virus

The significance of CD44 variants in gastric carcinoma has not been fully investigated in terms of the pathological features of the carcinoma, including its association with Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV). In this study, a total of 104 primary gastric carcinoma tissues (EBV‐associated gastric carcinomas, EBVaGC, and EBV‐negative carcinomas) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. When the immunoreactivity of formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded sections was graded on a scale of 0–3, the frequencies of grades 0–1, 2 and 3 were, respectively, 77%, 16% and 7% using monoclonal antibody (MAb) 3G5, which recognizes V3–5, and 70%, 14% and 15% with MAb 2F10, which recognizes V6. The expression of CD44 variants is independently correlated with lymph node metastasis and EBV‐association in gastric carcinoma. Significant correlations were observed between V3–5 expression and lymph vessel invasion or lymph node metastasis, and between V6 expression and lymph node metastasis. The expression of both variants was significantly correlated with EBV‐association. EBV‐association and lymph node metastasis contributed independently to CD44 variant expression by multivariate analysis. Thus, the mechanism and significance of CD44 variant‐expression are different in gastric carcinomas with or without EBV. EBVaGC is a distinct type of gastric carcinoma which should be considered separately from EBV‐negative carcinoma. Int. J. Cancer 74:450–454, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.