Expression Of Stathmin In Gastric Cancer And Its Clinical Significance

Background and objective:To study the expression of Stathmin mRNA and protein in in human gastric carcinoma tissues and to evaluate the expression of Stathmin,HIF-la and VEGF in human gastric carcinoma and explore the relationship between these proterins and clinicopathological features.Methods:1. In 30 gastric cancer patients, tumor tissue and paired adjacent normal tissue were obtained. Stathmin gene mRNA expression was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR.2. The expression of Stathmin protein was observed in preceding tissues by western-blot.3. The expression of Stathmin,HIF-1αand VEGF was determined by immunohistochemical staining of tissues from 87 cases of radical resected gastric cancer specimens and 87 cases of paired adjacent normal tissue. The relationship between expression of these proteins and various clinicopathological factors were evaluated.Results:1. The Stathmin mRNA expression in gastric tumor tissues were 7.36 times higher than in corresponding para-cancerous tissues in average(P<0.05).2. In Western blot Stathmin protein showed a special band with Stathmin antibodies. The level of Stathmin protein in gastric tumor tissues was also significantly higher than that in the matched surrounding non-cancerous tissues. Stathmin protein was 51.5% positive in gastric tumor tissues and 6.0% positive in non-cancerous tissues.3. The expression rates of Stathmin,HIF-1αand VEGF in 87 gastric carcinoma tissues were 63.2%,57.5% and 69.0%, respectively. And 24.1%,20.7%,21.8% respectively in the corresponding para-cancerous tissues. They were significantly higher than those in the corresponding para-cancerous tissues. (P<0.05).4. Stathmin expression correlated with HIF-1α , VEGF (r=0.501,0.364, P<0.05) in gastric cancer specimens.And HIF-1αexpression correlated with VEGF(r=0.457, P<0.05).Positive Stathmin staining was significantly associated with histological type, lymph node metastasis, lymph-vascular invasion and clinical staging (P<0.05), HIF-1αand VEGF staining was significantly associated with depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis and clinical staging(P <0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed Stathmin expression, clinical stage and lymph node metastasis were independently prognostic factors of poor survival(P <0.05).Conclusion:1.The Stathmin mRNA and protein expression in gastric tumor tissues were higher than those in corresponding para-cancerous tissues. Stathmin may be a key event that happens during gastric carcinogenesis. And this result suggests an important role of Stathmin in the development and metastatic potential of gastric cancer.2. Aberrant Stathmin expression may links to HIF-1αprotein accumulation and VEGF expression and play an important role in progress of gastric cancer.