Expression And Clinical Significance Of EZH2 In Gastric Carcinoma

Objectives:To investigate the expression of EZH2 protein in gastric carcinomas, high grade dysplasia, low grade dysplasia, intestinal metaplasia, chronic atrophic gastritis and normal gastric mucosa. And then to determined the clinicopathological significance of EZH2 protein in the carcinogenesis and progression of gastric carcinoma.Methods:199 cases of gastric carcinomas,25 of high grade dysplasia,24 of low grade dysplasia,46 of intestinal metaplasia,17 of chronic atrophic gastritis and 23 of normal gastric mucosa were immunohistochemically analysed with EZH2 protein.Results:The expression of EZH2 protein in gastric carcinomas and dysplasia(high and low grade) was significantly higher than in intestinal metaplasia, chronic atrophic gastritis and normal gastric mucosa (all P<0.001). Meanwhile, the expression of EZH2 protein was higher in advanced gastric cancer (8.03±2.56) than in early gastric cancer (6.54±2.88) (P＜0.01). The expression of EZH2 protein was correlated with tumor size (P<0.005), lymph node metastasis (P＜0.005), T stage (P<0.005) and clinical stage (P＜0.01). However, the expression of EZH2 protein was not correlated with the patients' age, gender, tumor location, tumor differentiation, tumor classification and patients'survival.Conclusion:Overexpression of EZH2 is an early molecular event of gastric carcinogenesis. EZH2 might be involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of gastric carcinoma. The expression of EZH2 protein may be a reference index to judge the development and seriousness of gastric carcinoma.