title: Clinical significance of loss of Fhl1 expression in human gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Human four-and-a-half LIM domains 1 (Fhl1) gene has been reported to achieve cancer suppressive effects. The purpose of this study is to clarify clinical significance of Fhl1 expression in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fhl1 mRNA expression was quantified by real-time reverse transcription (RT)-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using paired tumor and normal clinical samples from a total of 110 gastric cancer patients. Fhl1 protein expression was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The relationship between Fhl1 mRNA expression and clinicopathological factors was statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fhl1 mRNA expression in tumor tissue was significantly downregulated compared with that in normal mucosa (P < 0.0001). Fhl1 protein expression was also diminished in cancer cells by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that the patients with low Fhl1 expression tumor showed significantly shorter survival (P < 0.05) than those with high Fhl1 expression tumor. Furthermore, the tumors with low Fhl1 expression showed deeper invasion into the serosal layer (P < 0.05) or more frequent distant metastasis (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fhl1 gene was underexpressed in clinical gastric cancer. Loss of Fhl1 expression would be a novel biomarker to determine biological aggressiveness of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, 4546 Tsurumihara, Beppu 874-0838, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sakashita
authors.forename: Koshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mimori
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamohara
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tetsuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: Kosei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirakawa
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009124:Muscle Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C101149:FHL1 protein, human; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D060588:LIM Domain Proteins; D009124:Muscle Proteins