STAT3 expression in gastric cancer indicates a poor prognosis.
OBJECTIVE
Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) behave as signal transducers in the cytoplasm and as transcription factors in the nucleus. In the current study, we analyzed the immunohistochemical staining patterns of gastrectomy tissue specimens. We investigated the expression of STAT3 and STAT5 and estimated the relationship between STAT and cancer prognosis.


METHODS
One hundred patients who underwent gastrectomy due to gastric adenocarcinoma at Bundang CHA hospital between January 2000 and May 2005 were studied. Immunohistochemistry was carried out using antibodies against STAT3 and STAT5. The interpretation of the immunohistochemical staining was based on the proportion of stained cells in the field: positive, > 10% stained cells; and negative, < 10% stained cells.


RESULTS
The longest diameter of tumor was 4.67 cm in the positive group and 3.76 cm in the negative group, and these results were not statistically different (P-value = 0.112). Higher T (primary tumor) value (P-value = 0.05), more regional lymph node invasion (P-value = 0.008) and higher TNM staging (P-value = 0.069) were significantly related to STAT3 positivity, but Helicobacter pylori infection or atrophic gastritis were not related. A lower survival rate was observed in the STAT3-positive group (P-value = 0.001). The results of STAT5 were not statistically different with respect to TNM staging and survival (P-value = 0.958). We thus report that the immunohistochemical results of STAT3 revealed a significant association with TNM staging and survival.


CONCLUSIONS
We anticipate that STAT3 may be used as a molecular staging biomarker predicting poor prognosis of gastric cancer.
Kim
Dae-Young
DY
Digestive Disease Center, Bundang CHA Hospital, College of Medicine, Pochon CHA University, Seongnam 463-712, South Korea.
Cha
Sung-Tae
ST
Ahn
Dae-Ho
DH
Kang
Hae-Yoon
HY
Kwon
Chang-Il
CI
Ko
Kwang-Hyun
KH
Hwang
Seong-Gyu
SG
Park
Pil-Won
PW
Rim
Kyu-Sung
KS
Hong
Sung-Pyo
SP
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000032:analysis*; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000032:analysis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor