Expression Of DLX2Protein In Gastric Cancer And Its Clinical Significance

BackgroundGastric cancer is one of the most common digestive malignant tumors, which has a relatively high morbidity and mortality. It is still a big challenge for many countries, especially for developing countries. China is one of the countries which have high incidences of gastric cancer. According to some data, the patients of gastric cancer in our country is about42%of the total patients in the world. Moreover, the morbidity is much higher in country when compared with that of city. The etiologies and pathogenesis of gastric cancer, however, is still a mystery to us. So, it is necessary to investigate the molecular mechanism of occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis in gastric cancer in order to understand the disease better and finally search for some new therapies.DLX2(distal-less homeobox2) is a member of DLX family. Large various researches have confirmed its vital functions in the development of embryo. Until recent years has its involvement in tumors been found. The abnormal expression of DLX2is correlated with several tumors, such as haematological malignancies, glioblastoma and breast cancer. In gastric cancer, one experiment has put forward that the increased expression of DLX2correlates with advanced stage of gastric adenocarcinoma.Our experiment tried to explore investigate the expression of DLX2protein in gastric cancer by applying tissue microarrays method and immunohistochemistry. Then, correlations of DLX2protein expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer were analyzed.ObjectiveTo investigate the expression of DLX2protein in tissue microarrays of gastric cancer and its clinical significance.MethodClinicopathological features and prognosis of472patients were collected from the Department of Surgical Oncology, and the gastric cancer tissues were obtained from gastrectomy specimens from the Department of Pathology, Sir Run Run Shao Hospital of Zhejiang University. We constructed the tissue microarraies with these wax blocks. The expression of DLX2protein were detected by immunohistochemistry in tissue microarraies. The expression levels were judged by two independent experienced pathologists. In all,262patients of gastric cancer who have complete information were take in our final research. Then, correlations of DLX2expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with gastric cancer were analyzed.Result1. Correlation analysis shows that the expression of DLX2protein is significantly correlated with the expression of Her-2protein (p=0.004). DLX2is much higher in Her-2negative patients.2. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and the Cox proportional hazards regression model analysis show that DLX2is not correlated with the survival of gastric cancer. The media survival of patients with higher expression of DLX2seems shorter than that with lower expression.ConclusionOur study found out that the expression of DLX2protein in gastric cancer significantly correlates with Her-2protein. However, it is not correlated with the survival of gastric cancer.