The hypoxia-associated signalling that is activated in tumours promotes tumour progression through the recruitment of macrophages, remodelling of extracellular matrix and neoangiogenesis.

Aim. The evaluation of the clinical relevance of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) in bone marrow (BM) of patients with gastric cancer (GC) and their association with primary tumor hypoxia. Patients and Methods. 89 resected specimens were used. DTCs were detected using immunocytochemistry, the level of tumor hypoxia using NMR spectroscopy, CD68, CD34, VEGF, and VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) expression using immunohistochemistry, and MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity using zymography. Results. DTCs were detected in 51.4% of GC patients with M0. There was significant correlation between frequency of DTCs in BM and level of tumor hypoxia (P < 0.024). DTCs presence was accompanied with Flt-1 positivity of BM. The correlation between DTCs and tumor VEGF expression in patients with M0 was shown (P < 0.0248). Activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in BM was linked with DTCs in patients with M0 (P < 0.05). Overall survival (OS) of patients with M0 and DTCs was shorter than that of patients without DTCs (patients in both groups were operated only) (P = 0.0497). Conclusion. Appearance of DTCs correlates with hypoxia level in primary tumors. Detection of DTCs in GC patients may be relevant indicator for adjuvant chemotherapy using.

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Aim: To evaluate the association between the presence of CD8 and CD45RO T lymphocytes in bone marrow (BM), disseminated tumor cells (DTCs), tumor hypoxia and their impact on disease outcome. Material and methods: 91 naïve gastric cancer (GC) patients were enrolled into the study. DTCs, CD8- and CD45RO-positive T lymphocytes in BM were detected using immunocytochemistry. All patients were thoroughly informed about the study that was approved by the local ethics committee. Statistical analyses were done using NCSS2000/PASS2000 and Prism, version 4.03 software packages. Results: It was detected that 80.5 and 81.3% of patients had CD8- and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM, respectively. When DTCs were detected in BM, the number of patients with CD8-and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM were 86.1 and 84.4%, respectively. It was also determined that the number of patients with DTCs in BM with categories M0 and M1 and with CD8- and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM were 86.2 and 85.7%, 85.7 and 80.0%, respectively. The association between DTCs in BM and presence of CD8 and CD45RO T cells lymphocytes in BM was not found. At the same time it was shown the association between presence of CD8 and CD45RO T lymphocytes and survival. The presence of CD8- and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM were accompanied with significantly longer overall survival of patients compared to that of patients without CD8- and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM. Conclusion: Patients with the presence of CD8- and CD45RO-positive T cells in BM demonstrated better survival of GC patients than those with the absence of these cells in BM. It may be suggested that tumor cells in BM are controlled in a dormant state by T cells in BM, in particular by CD8-positive T cells.

Aim. The analysis of the association of CXCR4 expression in gastric cancer (GC) and bone marrow (BM) with clinical characteristics. Patients and Methods. 65 patients with GC were investigated. Immunohistochemistry, immunocytochemistry, NMR-spectroscopy, and zymography were used. Results. CXCR4 was expressed in 78.5% of GC specimens and correlated with tumor hypoxia ( < 0.05), VEGF expression ( < 0.01), and gelatinases activity ( < 0.05). CXCR4-positive cells in GC were detected in 80% of patients with disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). Overall survival (OS) of patients with CXCR4-positive tumors was poorer than that of patients with CXCR4-negative tumors ( = 0.037). The CXCR4-positive cells in BM were found in 46% of all patients and in 56% of patients with DTCs. CXCR4 expression in BM was not associated with OS. Risk of unfavourable outcome is increased in patients with CXCR4-positive tumors ( < 0.05). CXCR4 expression in BM was positively associated with DTCs, especially in patients with M 0 category. Risk of unfavourable outcome is increased in patients with M 0 category and with both CXCR4-positive BM and DTCs ( = 0.03). Conclusions. CXCR4 expression in tumor was positively correlated with hypoxia level and VEGF expression in tumor as well as OS. CXCR4 expression in BM is associated with DTCs.