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This study was conducted to elucidate the factors related with liver metastases, to clarify the significance of blood vessel invasion and then to predict liver metastases from these findings. Patients examined were 102 cases which underwent gastrectomy and were followed-up for more than 5 years or until death at our department. Two new staining methods were applied in this study; Victoria blue + hematoxylin eosin double staining for elastic fiber and Factor VIII related antigen for vascular endothelium. Significant differences in qualitative frequency of blood vessel invasion, the number of lymph node metastases, and the depth of invasion were found in those patients with liver metastases, as compared with 5 year survivors. Quantitative analysis of blood vessel invasion revealed significant importance of blood vessel invasions in the submucosa, in the forms of complete thrombus, wall invasion and partial thrombus, in the diameters of 0.01-0.1 mm and 0.1-1.0 mm. Applying discrimination coefficients of linear discrimination analysis, prediction of liver metastases was possible with 81.8% sensitivity, 85.3% specificity, and 83.6% accuracy. Liver metastases can be predicted from the qualitative and quantitative analyses of blood vessel invasion in the primary tumors by elastic fiber staining.