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Overexpression of EphA2 correlates with epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins in gastric cancer and their prognostic importance for postoperative patients

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Abstract

The expression of EphA2 and three epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins (E-cadherin, β-catenin and vimentin) was detected by immunohistochemistry in human gastric cancer and normal gastric mucosa. The expression of EphA2 and vimentin was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues than in normal gastric mucosa tissues, and similar results were found for negative E-cadherin expression and ectopic β-catenin expression. Further analysis showed that the expression of EphA2 was closely correlated with the depth of tumor invasion, tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stages and lymph node metastasis. Down-regulated expression of the epithelial protein E-cadherin, overexpression of the mesenchymal protein vimentin and ectopic expression of β-catenin were associated with the depth of tumor invasion, tumor differentiation, TNM stages and lymph node metastasis. The Spearman rank test indicated that the positive expression of EphA2 was negatively associated with E-cadherin expression and was positively correlated with β-catenin ectopic expression and vimentin expression. In addition, the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the overexpression of EphA2 and vimentin, ectopic expression of β-catenin and down-regulation of E-cadherin indicate a poor outcome. Moreover, multivariate Cox analysis showed that TNM stages, lymph node metastasis, EphA2 expression, E-cadherin expression and β-catenin ectopic expression were independent prognostic factors for postoperative gastric cancer. These findings indicate that the overexpression of EphA2 correlates with the loss of epithelial proteins and the appearance of mesenchymal proteins. Therefore, EphA2 may play a role in epithelial–mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Nature Foundation of China (No. 81172297).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Futao Hou, Weijie Yuan, Zhikang Chen, Jie Ge, Shaobin Wu, Jinxiang Chen, Jixu Wang & Zihua Chen

  2. Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Xiangya Road, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Jin Huang

  3. Department of General Surgery, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Tongzipo Road, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, People’s Republic of China

    Liyuan Qian

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  1. Futao Hou
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  10. Zihua Chen
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Correspondence to Zihua Chen.

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Hou, F., Yuan, W., Huang, J. et al. Overexpression of EphA2 correlates with epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins in gastric cancer and their prognostic importance for postoperative patients. Med Oncol 29, 2691–2700 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-0127-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-011-0127-2

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