LncRNA AFAP1-AS1 Modulates the Proliferation and Invasion of Gastric Cancer Cells by Regulating AFAP1 via miR-205-5p.

PURPOSE: The present study investigated the expression and function of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) actin filament associated protein 1 antisense RNA1 (AFAP1-AS1) related to gastric cancer (GC), based on previous results from a microarray analysis. METHODS: Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to verify the expression of AFAP1-AS1 in 97 fresh GC tissues and paired non-GC tissues, as well as in six different GC cell lines (BGC-823, SGC-7901, MGC-803, AGS, MKN-45, and MKN-28). The expression levels were subsequently correlated with the clinicopathological features of patients. siRNA against AFAP1-AS1 was transfected into GC cell lines, and cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected before and after silencing of AFAP1-AS1 expression. Luciferase reporter gene analysis was used to confirm the target gene of microRNA-205-5p (miR-205-5p) in 293T cells. The potential mechanism was subsequently investigated. RESULTS: qPCR results showed that AFAP1-AS1 was significantly overexpressed in GC tumor tissues and also GC cell lines, comparing to their paired non-GC tissues. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that the overexpression of AFAP1-AS1 was significantly correlated with tumor size (p=0.018) and grade of differentiation (p=0.042). Subsequently, artificially decreasing the expression of AFAP1-AS1 with its specific siRNA dramatically inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cell lines (SGC-7901 and BGC-823 cells). Mechanical analysis suggested that AFAP1-AS1 is involved in regulation of its maternal gene, AFAP1, at both mRNA level and protein level. Luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that lncRNA AFAP1-AS1, as a ceRNA, is able to sponge miR-205-5p. Moreover, miR-205-5p has been well demonstrated to participate in the regulation of AFAP1 expression and the phenotypes of GC cells, including proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: AFAP1-AS1, as a novel biomarker of GC, promotes the proliferation migration and invasion of GC cells and function as ceRNA to target AFAP1 by sponging miR-205-5p.

Involvement of SLC39A6 in gastric adenocarcinoma and correlation of the SLC39A6 polymorphism rs1050631 with clinical outcomes after resection.

BACKGROUND: The single-nucleotide polymorphism SLC39A6 rs1050631 is strongly implicated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, leading us to question whether it may also play a role in gastric adenocarcima (GA). METHODS: We genotyped the SLC39A6 rs1050631 in 512 patients who underwent GA resection. All study subjects lived in an area of China with high GA incidence. Genotypes were examined for possible correlation with survival and recurrence. The potential involvement of SLC39A6 in gastric cancer was explored in clinical samples and cell culture studies. RESULTS: Multivariable analysis showed that patients with the CT + TT genotype at SLC39A6 rs1050631 were at greater risk of recurrence (hazard ratio, HR 1.387, p = 0.004) and death (HR 1.429, p = 0.002) than patients with CC genotype. Median recurrence-free and overall survival were significantly shorter in patients with the CT + TT genotype (20, 27 months) than in patients with the CC genotype (36, 43 months, p = 0.001, p < 0.001). Patients with the CT + TT genotype who were male or ≥ 60 years, or who had a tumor ≥5 cm or a moderately differentiated tumor were at significantly higher risk of recurrence and death. SLC39A6 was overexpressed in tissues from GA patients and in GA cell lines, and SLC39A6 knockdown in GA cell lines inhibited their proliferation, migration and invasion. CONCLUSION: SLC39A6 rs1050631 correlates with post-resection prognosis of GA patients and SLC39A6 may participate in GA onset or progression.

Long non­coding RNA RP1­163G9.1 is downregulated in gastric adenocarcinoma and is associated with a poor prognosis.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression, function and underlying molecular mechanism of the long non­coding (lnc) RNA RP1­163G9.1 in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). The expression levels of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 were determined in 112 paired clinical GA tissues by reverse transcription­quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis. Subsequently, the potential clinical values of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 were analyzed with statistical methods. Additionally, the function of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 was explored at the cellular level using the Cell Counting Kit­8 proliferation assay, Transwell experiments, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), colony formation assay and flow cytometry. Furthermore, the function of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 was assessed in vivo using subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments in nude mice. lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 expression in GA tissues and cells was significantly decreased when compared with that in control gastric tissues (P<0.001) or gastric epithelial cells GES­1 (P<0.05). This finding was associated with the depth of invasion (P=0.001), lymph node metastasis (P=0.009), tumor size (P=0.037) and immunocytochemistry marker Ki­67 (P=0.010). FISH detection demonstrated that lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 was primarily located in the cytoplasm. Notably, overexpression of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 significantly decreased cell proliferation (P<0.01), colony formation (P<0.01), invasion (P<0.01) and the number of cells at the S­phase of the cell cycle (P<0.05); However, it did not exert a significant effect on apoptosis (P>0.05). Furthermore, tumor formation experiments revealed that overexpression of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 inhibited cancer cell proliferation in nude mice. The present research indicated that low expression of lncRNA RP1­163G9.1 may be associated with enhanced tumor proliferation and invasion in GA.

Overexpression of Pyruvate Kinase Type M2 (PKM2) Promotes Ovarian Cancer Cell Growth and Survival Via Regulation of Cell Cycle Progression Related with Upregulated CCND1 and Downregulated CDKN1A Expression.

BACKGROUND Many findings have shown that pyruvate kinase type M2 (PKM2) plays crucial roles in regulating the occurrence and development of various human cancers; however, its roles in ovarian cancer oncogenesis remain to be determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression intensity of PKM2 in ovarian cancer tissues was examined by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and was then correlated to patient clinicopathologic characteristics. The roles of PKM2 in ovarian cancer cell proliferation, growth, and survival were examined by CCK-8, colony forming, and flow cytometry assays. The potentially involved molecular were then investigated by Western blot analysis. RESULTS IHC results showed that PKM2 was overexpressed in 100 of 114 (87.7%) serous ovarian cancer tissues as compared with 50 cases of non-cancerous ovarian tissues, and was associated with tumor size ≥7.5 cm and <7.5 cm (p<0.05). Overexpression of PKM2 in SKOV3 and HEY ovarian cancer cells by transfection with PKM2 lentivirus vector led to increased cell proliferation, growth, and survival, which may be related with PKM2 being able to increase cell cycle progress: G1 stage decreased, whereas S stage significantly increased. In contrast, all functions of SKOV3 and HEY cells described above were reversed by knocked down PKM2 expression using siRNA. Further data showed that overexpressed PKM2 led to increased CCND1 and decreased CDKN1A expression, whereas underexpressed PKM2 led to decreased CCND1 and increased CDKN1A expression in ovarian cancer cells. CONCLUSIONS PKM2 may play important roles in ovarian cancer development and may be a treatment target for this cancer.

Low Serum Albumin Correlates with Poor Survival in Gastric Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative nutritional status as evidenced by serum albumin measurement is associated with cancer prognosis but the clinical significance of this for patients with gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. Therefore, we evaluated an association between preoperative serum albumin and GC patient survival in the Fujian area which has a higher incidence for GC in China. METHODS: GC patients (n = 309) who underwent surgical treatment at Fuzhou General Hospital between 2010 and 2013 were retrospectively assessed using a Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test, as well as univariate and multivariate Cox model analyses, to confirm a correlation between patient survival and preoperative serum albumin. RESULTS: Data show that low serum albumin was associated with poorer survival. Preoperative serum CEA, CA199, and albumin and tumor size, T staging, and lymph node metastases (LNM) were significantly associated with overall survival according to univariate analysis. Lower serum albumin (HR: 2.018, 95% CI [1.204 - 3.381], p = 0.008) and advanced cancers with deeper invasion (T3 + T4 stages) and with lymph node metastases were significantly associated with increased death risk according to multivariate analysis. Preoperative serum total protein, patient age, tumor size, T staging, and LNM were correlated with serum albumin according to chi-squared analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative serum albumin may be related to GC patient survival and may hold promise as a prognostic predictor for such survival.

Evaluation of the expression and clinical value of lncRNA AC010761.9 in human gastric adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The current study determined the expression and clinical value of lncRNA AC010761.9 in human gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). METHODS: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription (qRT)-PCR was used to detect the level of lncRNA expression in 145 GA tissues and three GA cell lines, and the correlation between its level and clinicopathologic characteristics and potential corresponding mRNA of TNF receptor-associated factor 4 gene (TRAF4) was then evaluated. RESULTS: Elevated lncRNA AC010761.9 was detected in all 6 GA tissues by previous lncRNA expression profile microarray assay. LncRNA AC010761.9 was over-expressed in 99 of 145 GA tissues (68.3%) with an elevated fold change of up to 35.14 compared to matched paracancerous tissues (p < 0.05), and was also over-expressed in the 3 GA cell lines (MGC803, BGC823, and SGC7901) compared to the normal gastric mucosal epithelial cell line (GES-1 cells; p < 0.05) by qRT-PCR. The elevated expression of this lncRNA was related to tumor size (p = 0.028), degree of differentiation (p = 0.047), and serum carbohydrate antigen (CA19-9) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) concentrations (p = 0.026 and p = 0.037, respectively). Multivariate analysis further confirmed that the expression of lncRNA AC010761.9 was related to the degree of tumor differentiation (p = 0.015). Additionally, the expression of lncRNA AC010761.9 had a positive correlation with the mRNA expression of the potentially associated gene (TRAF4) in GA tissues (r = 0.385, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: LncRNA AC010761.9 may be linked to GA progression and is a potential new biomarker for GA.

The rs2839698 Single Nucleotide Polymorphism of lncRNA H19 is Associated with Post-Operative Prognosis in T3 Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: It has been widely demonstrated that long non-coding RNA H19 (lncRNA H19) plays an important role in the progression of various human cancers. However, the associations of common genetic variations with recurrence and survival in gastric adenocarcinoma in this lncRNA remain largely unknown. METHODS: The rs2839698 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of H19 was genotyped in tissue samples from 441 patients with T3 gastric adenocarcinoma who had surgical operations between 2004 to 2009, and the relationships between the different genotypes and recurrence and survival after surgery alone (n = 156) or surgery plus chemotherapy (n = 285) were assessed using 3 different statistical-methods. RESULTS: Based on the final day of investigation (November 2014), the GA genotype was significantly associated with recurrence and survival in patients treated with surgery alone, but not in patients treated with surgery plus chemotherapy. In patients treated with surgery alone, individuals with the GA genotype had significantly lower risks of recurrence and death [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 0.57, 95% CI 0.37 - 0.88; adjusted HR: 0.58, 95% CI 0.38 - 0.88] than the GG genotype (p = 0.010 and p = 0.010), respectively. More importantly, patients treated with surgery alone who carried the GA genotype achieved significantly longer median disease-free survival time and overall survival than carriers of the GG genotype (45 vs. 26 months, p = 0.010; 44 vs. 23 months, p = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: The rs2839698 SNP of H19 may have potential as a novel prognostic factor for survival in T3 gastric adenocarcinoma after surgery alone; these finding have special relevance to patients who are not suitable for postoperative chemotherapy.

AKT2 contributes to increase ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion through the AKT2-PKM2-STAT3/NF-κB axis.

Multiple studies have shown that protein kinase Bß (AKT2) is involved in the development and progression of ovarian cancer, however, its precise role remains unclear. Here we explored the underlying molecular mechanisms how AKT2 promotes ovarian cancer progression. We examined the effects of AKT2 in vitro in two ovarian cancer cell lines (SKOV3 and HEY), and in vivo by metastasis assay in nude mice. The migration and invasion ability of SKOV3 and HEY cells was determined by transwell assay. Overexpression and knockdown (with shRNA) experiments were carried out to unravel the underlying signaling mechanisms induced by AKT2. Overexpression of AKT2 led to increased expression of pyruvate kinase (PKM2) in ovarian cancer cells and in lung metastatic foci from nude mice. Elevated AKT2/PKM2 expression induced cell migration and invasion in vitro, as well as lung metastasis in vivo; silencing AKT2 blocked these effects. Meanwhile, PKM2 overexpression was unable to increase AKT2 expression. The expressions of p-PI3K, p-AKT2, and PKM2 were increased when stimulated by epidermal growth factor (EGF); however, these expressions were blocked when inhibited the PI3K by LY294002. STAT3 expression was elevated and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation was activated both in vitro and in vivo when either AKT2 or PKM2 was overexpressed; and these effects were inhibited when silencing AKT2 expression. Taken together, AKT2 increases the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells in vitro and promotes lung metastasis in nude mice in vivo through PKM2-mediated elevation of STAT3 expression and NF-κB activation. In conclusion, we highlight a novel mechanism of the AKT2-PKM2-STAT3/NF-κB axis in the regulation of ovarian cancer progression, and our work suggested that both AKT2 and PKM2 may be potential targets for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Circular RNAs expression profiles in human gastric cancer.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in a variety of cancers. However, the roles of circRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unknown. In the current study, circRNAs expression profiles were screened in GC, using 5 pairs of GC and matched non-GC tissues with circRNA chip. Preliminary results were verified with quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Briefly, total of 713 circRNAs were differentially expressed in GC tissues vs. non-GC tissues (fold change ≥ 2.0, p < 0.05): 191 were upregulated, whereas 522 were downregulated in GC tissues. qRT-PCR analysis of randomly selected 7 circRNAs from the 713 circRNAs in 50 paired of GC vs. non-GC control tissues confirmed the microarray data. Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analyses showed that many circRNAs are implicated in carcinogenesis. Among differentially expressed circRNAs, hsa_circ_0076304, hsa_circ_0035431, and hsa_circ_0076305 had the highest magnitude of change. These results provided a preliminary landscape of circRNAs expression profile in GC.

High expression of EGFR predicts poor survival in patients with resected T3 stage gastric adenocarcinoma and promotes cancer cell survival.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an essential regulator and biomarker of several types of cancer. However, the association between its expression and prognosis in patients with resected T3 stage gastric adenocarcinoma (RT3-GA) remains to be determined. In total, 683 patients with resectable T3-GA who underwent surgery were retrospectively included in the present study, and their immunohistochemical data for EGFR expression were collected. The associations between the patients' clinicopathologic characteristics and EGFR immunohistochemistry data were analyzed by multiple statistical methods. Annexin V apoptosis and MTT cell viability assays were performed to explore the effect of EGFR on AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cell survival. EGFR expression levels were categorized into two groups: low (406 cases) and high (277 cases). High EGFR was demonstrated to be significantly associated with distant metastasis (P=0.043) and severely decreased median overall survival time (MOST) and recurrence-free survival time (MRFST). MOST and MRFST in the low EGFR group were 39 and 37 months, respectively; whereas in the high EGFR group these values were only 18 and 13 months (P=3.10×10-9 and P=6.74×10-8, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed that high EGFR expression levels were associated with poor survival, which was associated with significantly increased recurrence risk and ~2-fold elevation in mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR), 1.73; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.43-2.10; P=2.37×10-8 and HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.50-2.17; P=3.80×10-10]. Inhibiting EGFR with AG1478 suppressed its effect on promoting AGS cell survival. These results suggest that high EGFR expression indicates poor survival in patients with RT3-GA, which may be correlated with EGFR promoting GA cell survival.

SOX2 regulates multiple malignant processes of breast cancer development through the SOX2/miR-181a-5p, miR-30e-5p/TUSC3 axis.

BACKGROUND: High levels of SOX2 protein are correlated with increased dissemination of breast cancer. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. METHODS: In this study we investigate the role of SOX2 in breast cancer metastasis using multiple in vitro and in vivo assays including cell culture, shRNA-mediated knockdown, wound healing, colony formation, transwell chamber, xenograft and tail vein injection. Moreover, western blot, immunostaining, microarray and real-time PCR were used to determine the change of protein and miRNA levels. Luciferase assays were also used to evaluate activity which TUSC3 is a target of miR-181a-5p and miR-30e-5p, and the clinical survival relevance was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: We identified a novel pathway involving SOX2 regulation of microRNAs to control the proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. shRNA-mediated knockdown of SOX2 inhibits breast cancer cell expansion and migration. More importantly, we found that these changes are accompanied by significant reduction in the levels of two microRNAs, miR-181a-5p and miR-30e-5p. Overexpression of these two microRNAs leads to reduced protein levels of Tumor Suppressor Candidate 3 (TUSC3) in breast cancer cells; mutations of the potential binding sites in the 3'-UTR of TUSC3 abrogate the inhibitory effects of the microRNAs. We further found that upregulation of TUSC3 expression leads to reduced proliferation and migration of breast cancer cells. In human breast cancer samples the levels of TUSC3 protein are inversely correlated with those of SOX2 protein. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our work reveals a novel SOX2-mediated regulatory axis that plays critical roles in the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of breast cancer cells. Targeting this axis may provide beneficial effect in the treatment of breast cancer.

Overexpression of HER-2 Protein is a High-Risk Factor for Patients with Surgically-Resected Stage T3 Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Factors associated with tumor recurrence and death in stage T3-gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) after surgical resection remain unclear. In this study, we investigated whether patients with overexpression of epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) comprised a high-risk group. METHODS: The immunohistochemistry data of HER-2 protein expression from 633 surgically-resected T3-GA tissues were collected and then retrospectively analyzed by Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier curve, and log rank test as well as univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Patients with HER-2 overexpression had increased recurrence rates and decreased median recurrence free survival times (MRFST) compared to those with low expression of HER-2 (76.3% vs. 65.4%, p = 0.004; and 18 vs. 26 months, p = 0.002, respectively). Conversely, overall survival rates and median overall survival times (MOST) were decreased in these patients (23.3% vs. 35.7%, p = 0.001 and 26 vs. 36 months, p = 0.001, respectively). HER-2 overexpression, lymph node metastasis (pN1-pN3), distant metastasis, and R1 resection margin were identified as independent prognostic factors for shorter MRFST and MOST in patients with surgically-resected T3-GA. CONCLUSIONS: Overexpression of HER-2 is a simple and reliable predictor for increased recurrence and poorer survival in patients with T3-GA following surgical resection. As such, these patients may benefit from trastuzumabbased therapy.

Prognostic Value of Ki67 Expression for Patients with Surgically Resected Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Perspectives from a High Incidence Area.

BACKGROUND: Antigen Ki-67 (Ki67) is a documented tumor biomarker known to be aberrantly expressed in many human cancers. However, to our knowledge, its prognostic value for surgically resected hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for high incidence areas of China has not been described. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 339 patients with HCC who underwent surgery to remove the primary cancer at one center in Fujian, China, an area with a high incidence of HCC from 2004 to 2012. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to quantify Ki67 expression in surgically resected HCC (RHCC) tissues. The survival curves were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and the prognostic significance of Ki67 was analyzed using the log-rank test. The identification of relevant prognostic factors was performed by multivariate Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Differential Ki67 expression was measured in 339 tissues from HCC. Among them 155 showed high Ki67 expression (≥ 3+), whereas the other 184 had low expression of Ki67 (-, +, or ++). High Ki67 was significantly related to preoperative serum α-fetoprotein > 400 µg/L (p = 0.001) and decreased aminotransferase (ALT) (p < 0.001). Moreover, multivariate Cox regression analysis confirmed that high Ki67 expression was strongly associated with increased death risk (HR = 2.287, 95% CI: (1.652 - 3.166)) and recurrence risk (HR = 1.625, 95% CI: (1.162 - 2.274)). CONCLUSIONS: High Ki76 expression has prognostic value for poor survival for RHCC patients, and detection of Ki67 with IHC may be promising for estimating survival for RHCC patients in areas with high-incidence for this disease in China.

Expression and prognostic significance of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A in patients with resected gastric adenocarcinoma.

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A) is an important cell cycleregulator, and has been identified to exhibit aberrant expression in various types of cancer tissues. However, the association between CDKN1A expression level and prognosis in patients with resected gastric adenocarcinoma (RGA) requires additional elucidation. In the present study, the CDKN1A expression profile in RGA tissues obtained from 217 patients were analyzed using immunohistochemistry. Its prognostic significance was evaluated by using the χ2 test, Kaplan-Meier curves and the log-rank test, and a multivariate Cox model analysis, during a median follow-up time of 51 months. The results demonstrated that CDKN1A expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM; P=0.001), recurrence (P<0.001) and overall survival (OS; P<0.001). In addition, the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and OS times were significantly shorter in patients with low CDKN1A expression compared with those with high CDKN1A expression (RFS, 20 months vs. 69 months, P<0.001; and OS, 32 months vs. 70 months, P<0.001, respectively). Multivariate analysis additionally confirmed that low CDKN1A expression was significantly correlated with an increased risk of LNM (P=0.001), recurrence (P<0.001) and mortality (P<0.001). Therefore, these data suggest that low expression of CDKN1A has independent prognostic significance indicative of tumor progression and poor survival in patients with RGA. Evaluation of CDKN1A expression may assist in determining prognosis in patients with RGA.

High Tumor Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expression Is Associated With Poorer Clinical Outcomes in Resected T3 Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical and prognostic significance of high vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in resected T3 gastric adenocarcinoma (GA). METHODS: Data of VEGF expression on 453 patients with resected T3 GA were collected from a single institute in Fuzhou, China. VEGF expression in the resected tumor tissues was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Associations between VEGF expression outcomes and prognosis were investigated using by the χ(2) test, Kaplan-Meier plus log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate Cox models. RESULTS: In total, 48.6% (220/453) patients had low VEGF expression (IHC score ≤2+). Patients with high VEGF expression (IHC>2+; 233/453, 51.4%) had significantly poorer median recurrence-free survival time (20 vs 55 months, P < 001) and median overall survival time (28 vs 58 months; P < 001) than patients with low VEGF. High VEGF was associated with higher overall recurrence (68.2% vs 51.4%, P = 2.675 × 10(-4)), poorer overall survival (27.5% vs 47.3%, P = 1.719 × 10(-5)), and increased risk of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33-2.19; P = 2.43 × 10(-5)) and death (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.41-2.3; P = 2.19 × 10(-6)). CONCLUSIONS: High VEGF expression is associated with a higher risk of recurrence and shorter survival in resected T3 GA. These findings may provide a foundation for evaluating VEGF-targeted molecular therapies in T3 GA.

Evaluation of the Clinical Significance of Serum Carcinoembryonic Antigen in Patients with Resectable Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is the most commonly used tumor marker for gastrointestinal cancers but its value for resectable gastric adenocarcinoma (RGA) patients in areas of high GA incidence is uncertain. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 400 subjects with RGA from the Fujian Province in China, which has a high incidence of GA. Patients had surgery between January 2010 and December 2013. CEA was measured and correlated to pathology. RESULTS: High pretreatment serum CEA (>5 ng/mL) was associated with patient age (p = 0.000), tumor size (p = 0.008), and T and N stages (p = 0.002, p = 0.032, respectively), alpha fetoprotein (p = 0.014), and CA19-9 (p = 0.000). High CEA was significantly associated with poor overall survival. Overall survival in the whole group of patients was 63.8%, whereas it was only 42.9% in the high CEA group (p = 0.0001). Mean overall survival for high CEA patients was significantly shorter than patients with low CEA (36.5 ± 2.63 months vs. 47.4 ± 0.98 months, p = 0.000). Multivariate analysis confirmed that pretreatment serum CEA was an independent prognostic factor for increased death risk. Additionally, mean CEA in 45 high CEA patients was reduced after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment serum CEA may help to predict survival for patients with RGA in high GA incidence areas.

SNP rs1059234 in CDKN1A Gene Correlates with Prognosis in Resected Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A (CDKN1A) and Cyclin D1 (CCND1) play essential roles in the regulation of cell cycle progression and are closely associated with human cancer. CDKN1A and CCND1 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been demonstrated to influence the prognosis in humans with different cancers. However, their roles in the prognosis of patients with resected gastric adenocarcinoma (RGA) remain to be determined. METHODS: Genotypes of CDKN1A rs1059234 and CCND1 rs603965 SNPs were performed in 235 tissue samples from RGA. The association of the genotypes of these two SNPs with the prognosis in the patients with RGA was analyzed by X2 test, multivariate Cox regression analyses, and Kaplan Meier curves. RESULTS: During the 50 months of median follow-up time, the overall recurrence and survival rate in the whole group was 57.4% and 46.8%, respectively. Whereas, recurrence and survival rate in patients with CC genotype of rs1059234 located in 3'UTR of CDKN1A were 78.0% and 27.1% (p = 0.004; p = 0.006). Multivariate analyses further confirmed that the CC genotype was significantly related with both increased recurrence and death risk (HR 3.33, 95% CI 1.95-5.70; p = 1.07 x 10⁻5, and HR 3.45, 95% CI 1.95-6.10; p = 2.03 x 10⁻5). No significant difference among CCND1 rs603965 SNP with the prognosis was determined. CONCLUSIONS: rs1059234 of CDKN1A is closely associated with the prognosis in patients with RGA.

The Value of Preoperative Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio in Indicating Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Resectable T2 Stage Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is closely associated with poor prognosis in patients with resectable T2 stage gastric adenocarcinoma (RT2-GA). Preoperative blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been identified to be a very valuable predictor for prognosis in patients with diverse cancers. The aim of this investigation was to assess the relationship between NLR and LNM in RT2-GA. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 230 patients who underwent surgery for removal of primary T2-GA from August 2002 to December 2013 in a single hospital. Preoperative routine blood test data were collected and the relationship between NLR and LNM in RT2-GA was evaluated by X2 test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The median value of NLR was 2.18 among 230 patients. Based on the median NLR value, the patients were categorized into two groups: low NLR group (NLR ≤ 2.18) and high NLR group (NLR > 2.18). χ2 test results exhibited that the preoperative NLR was significantly associated with the numbers of metastatic lymph nodes (≤ 6 and > 6) (p = 0.003) and status of lymph node involvement (N0, N1, and N2 stage) (p = 0.032). Multivariate analyses further confirmed that NLR > 2.18 was significantly associated with increased risk of appearing more numbers of metastatic lymph node or higher N stage which exhibited a 4.15- or 7.09-fold elevated risk compared to that of NLR ≤ 2.18. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative NLR is closely associated with LNM in patients with RT2-GA, which may be used as a predictor indicating more serious LNM in this type of cancer.

High Ki67 Expression has Prognostic Value in Surgically-Resected T3 Gastric Adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Antigen KI-67 (Ki67) plays a critical role in regulation of cell proliferation and has prognostic value in several types of cancer; however, the relationship between Ki67 expression and prognosis in resected T3 gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) has not yet been investigated. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 693 patients with T3 GA who underwent surgical resection at a single institution between July 2003 and December 2009 was performed. Ki67 expression in tumor tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry (IHC); the associations between Ki67 and prognosis/survival outcomes were assessed using the Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, log-rank test, and univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: High Ki67 expression (IHC score > or = 3+) was observed in 335/693 (48.34%) of cases. Ki67 expression was significantly associated with distant metastasis, 5-year median recurrence-free survival time in months (MRFST), and 5-year median overall survival time in months (MOST). Median recurrence and overall survival were 20 and 28 months. High Ki67 expression was associated with shorter MRFST (13 vs. 27 months, p < 0.001) and MOST (21 vs. 35 months, p < 0.001 compared to low K67 expression). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that high K167 expression was an independent prognostic factor for an increased risk of recurrence (p = 0.001) and distant metastasis (p = 0.003) and poorer overall survival (p = 5.33 x 10(-5)). CONCLUSIONS: High Ki67 expression was frequently observed in resected T3 GA and was a significant prognostic factor for poor outcome with respect to recurrence, distant metastasis and overall survival. Ki67 may represent a useful prognostic biomarker for resected T3 GA.

Elevated Preoperative Platelet to Lymphocyte Ratio Indicates Poor Survival in Patients with Resected High-grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) is widely used as an inflammation-related cancer biomarker. However, since its prognostic importance in resected high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) is still unknown, we investigated the association between PLR and the prognosis in resected HGSC in this study. METHODS: Details of 103 patients with HGSC who underwent ovarian resection were collected in this retrospective study. Preoperative PLR was calculated based on platelet and lymphocyte count values. A χ2 test was used to analyze the relationship between PLR and clinical variables, a Kaplan-Meier curve and log rank analysis was used to evaluate overall survival, and multivariable analysis was used to analyze the prognostic factors. RESULTS: The preoperative PLR median value (188.8) was used to divide patients into two groups: the high PLR group (PLR > 188.8) and low PLR group (PLR ≤ 188.8). A high PLR was significantly associated with a higher death rate (81.6% vs. 59.3%, p = 0.013) and a shorter median overall survival time (37 months vs. 58 months, p = 0.035) during follow-up (median length = 43 months). Multivariable data further demonstrated that a high PLR was related to a two-fold increase in risk of death (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.30 - 3.68, p = 0.003). In addition, the risk of a CA125 of > 640.0 U/mL was significantly greater in the high PLR group (odds ratio [OR]: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.18 - 6.27, p = 0.019). Multivariable analysis suggests that PLR was an independent prognostic factor for resected HGSC. CONCLUSIONS: PLR has potential as a prognostic biomarker for predicting the survival of patients with resected HGSC.