[Study on microsatellite instability in gastric cancer].

Objective: To evaluate the microsatellite instability (MIN) in gastric cancers (GC).

Methods: MIN was examined in 106 cases of GC, using the radioactive polymerase chain reaction-based method.

Results: The frequency of MIN was significantly higher in expanding type of GC as compared with the infiltrative type (P < 0.005, chi 2 test). No significant association with histologic type, pTNM stage, age and sex was found (P > 0.05, chi 2 test).

Conclusions: These findings reveal that MIN might be an important contributor to the development and progress of a significant number of GC, especially the expanding type which, as acknowledged traditionally, has a favorable prognosis.