Role of endoscopic biopsies and morphologic features in predicting microsatellite instability status in gastric cancer

Abstract

Evaluation of mismatch repair (MMR) protein and microsatellite instability (MSI) status plays a pivotal role in the management of gastric cancer (GC) patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the accuracy of gastric endoscopic biopsies (EBs) in predicting MMR/MSI status and to uncover histopathologic features associated with MSI. A multicentric series of 140 GCs was collected retrospectively, in which EB and matched surgical specimens (SSs) were available. Laurén and WHO classifications were applied and detailed morphologic characterization was performed. EB/SS were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MMR status and by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) for MSI status. IHC allowed accurate evaluation of MMR status in EB (sensitivity: 97.3%; specificity: 98.0%) and high concordance rates between EB and SS (Cohen κ=94.5%). By contrast, mPCR (Idylla MSI Test) showed lower sensitivity in evaluating MSI status (91.3% vs. 97.3%), while maintaining maximal specificity (100.0%). These results suggest a role of IHC as a screening method for MMR status in EB and the use of mPCR as a confirmatory test. Although Laurén/WHO classifications were not able to discriminate GC cases with MSI, we identified specific histopathologic features that are significantly associated with MMR/MSI status in GC, despite the morphologic heterogeneity of GC cases harboring this molecular phenotype. In SS, these features included the presence of mucinous and/or solid components ( P =0.034 and <0.001) and the presence of neutrophil-rich stroma, distant from tumor ulceration/perforation ( P <0.001). In EB, both solid areas and extracellular mucin lakes were also discriminating features for the identification of MSI-high cases ( P =0.002 and 0.045).