Studies of collagenase in malignant tumors 2. The collagenolytic activity and its relation to the development of human stomach cancer

胃癌38例について癌胃各部のco1lagenase活性を,組織培養法により測定し,形態学的特徴とcollagenase活性の相関を追求し,腫瘍の進展におけるcollagenaseの役割を検討した.結果は,癌胃全体では癌の進展先進部で最も高い活性がみられ,組織型別にみると,低分化傾向を示す癌ほど活性が高いと同時に,低分化腺癌の髄様型ではとくに高活性であった.進展形式についてみると, INFβの進展先進部の活性が高く,また表層拡大型早期癌の粘膜進展先進部で高活性であり,癌の進展の強さや方向とともに癌細胞密度とcollagenase活性は,相関する傾向を示した.The role of collagenase has been investigated associated with the stromal changes of tumors which were known as degradation or resorption of collagen possibly. This time collagenolytic activity of 38 cases of human stomach cancer was measured by the culture methods of Gross and Lapiere and histological observation was performed simultaneously to examine the relationship between collagenolytic activity and morphological pattern of the gastric cancer. As the following results show the collagenolytic activity might be seemed to concern to the strength and direction of the invasion of gastric cancer. 1). In the tissues of gastric cancer collagenolytic activity was significantly higher than in normal stomach tissues. 2). The strongest collagenolytic activity in gastric cancer was observed in the spreading front and the second was the center of the tumor. In the surrounding of cancer the collagenolytic activity was only slightly higher than in normal stomach. 3). Histologically the more poorly differentiated, the higher collagenolytic activity, and in the medullary type of the poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma the activity was stronger than in the scirrous type. 4). Relating to the infiltrative pattern the collagenolytic activity was the highest at the spreading front of INF β and second was the same region of INF γ, interesting to say, the activity in the surroundings of such front was obviously increased. 5). Borr. IV type cancer showed the collagenolytic activity elevated in every part of the lesion. In contrast, this activity was weak in 0 and 5 type in the macroscopical classification. 6). Collagenolytic activity was significantly high at the mucosal spreading front of the superficial spreading type of the early gastric cancer, namely the collagenolytic activity was associated with the horizontal direction of development of this type of the cancer