MME and neoplasm: As for the relations between the clinicopathological findings and CD10 expression, we previously reported that CD10 expression was correlated with a higher male-to-female ratio of patients, a differentiated histologic type, expansive tumour growth and blood vessel invasion in advanced gastric carcinomas (Tajima et al, 2001b); these clinicopathological characteristics have also been associated with haematogenous metastasis (Maehara et al, 1996; Yoo et al, 2000; Roviello et al, 2003).