Comparison of pathological features of gastric carcinoma in Turkey and Germany.

Environmental factors play an important role in gastric carcinogenesis and in the morphological features of gastric carcinomas. The aim of our study was to examine whether gastric carcinoma cases from Turkey and Germany differ in their topographical localization and in their histopathological and immunophenotypic profiles. We studied 80 gastric carcinoma cases from Turkey and 80 cases from Germany. The tumors were classified according to the Lauren, Goseki, and Carneiro classifications. We also determined the immunophenotype of the tumors on the basis of their mucin (MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6) and adhesion molecule (E-cadherin, alpha-catenin, beta-catenin) expression patterns. In the German series a proximal localization prevailed (p<0.02). In the Goseki classification, Grade I tumors were more frequent in the Turkish series, while Grade IV carcinomas (all of which stained positively for MUC5AC) were more common in the German series (p<0.24). The differences in adhesion molecule expression in the two groups were not significant. In conclusion, gastric carcinomas from Turkey and Germany differ in their topographical localization and the frequency of gland-forming versus signet-ring cell carcinomas. These differences may indicate that the factors thought to contribute to the development of gastric carcinoma, such as dietary habits and Helicobacter pylori infection, have different impact in the two countries.