Immunohistochemical high-throughput analysis and molecular study of gastrointestinal stromal tumor

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the GI tract. In the last few decades, this entity has became of incredible interest to numerous scientists given the new insights derived from the discovery of its derivation from the interstitial cells of Cajal, of the invariable c-Kit immunoreaction (1( and of its sensitivity to a RTKs inhibitor drug (2(, which rendered the tumor more easily diagnosticable, and curable. However the biologic behavior of GISTs is still far to be predicted. Recent data suggest that abnormalities of the genes controlling the cell cycle progression may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of GISTs. Aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of p27, Ki67, Skp2 and Jab1 in a large series of this rare group of neoplasms