Mast cell density in gastric cancer and its relation to aggressive behavior

Introduction: Stomach cancer is a serious health problem worldwide, as it is one of the most common cancers and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. Mast cells perform functions in the immunity system and are a type of discriminated myeloid cell. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between tryptase-positive mast cell density with prognostic histopathological findings in gastric cancer. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study, using tissue samples from 40 patients who underwent radical gastrectomy at Sina Hospital between 2022 and 2023. After histopathological examination and determination of tumor histopathological characteristics, the samples were subjected to immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antibody against mast cell tryptase. Results: In this study, the median density of mast cells in tumor tissue was 8/10 high power fields. There was no significant relationship between mast cell density and the number of lymph nodes involved, as well as tumor type, grade, location, and size. Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between mast cell density and tumor vascular invasion or neural invasion. Conclusion: Mast cells have vital roles in normal immune systems and pathological situations. Mast cell density in tumor tissue might be considered for the prognosis of patients before treatment but the function of mast cells has not been completely explained in gastric cancer and needs confirmation to introduce new target therapy.