Expression of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase mRNA in gastric cancer tissue, paracancenous tissue, gastric polyps, atmphic gastritis, gastric cancer cell lines and normal gastric tissue by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Lane M: DNA marker; 1: Gastric cancer (0.21 ± 0.23, P < 0.01 vs 2, 3 and 4); 2 and 3: Paracancerous tissue 3 cm (0.56 ± 0.45) and 6 cm distant from tumor (0.81 ± 0.43); 4, 6 and 8: Normal gastric tissue (0.82 ± 0.31); 5: Gastric polyps (0.44 ± 0.21); 7: Atrophic gastritis (0.48 ± 0.19); 9: MKN-28 (0.31 ± 0.04, P < 0.01 vs 10 and 11); 10: MKN-45 (0.08 ± 0.01, P < 0.01 vs 11 ); 11: SGC-7901 (absent). 15-PGDH: 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase; GAPDH: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.