title: Clinical significance of stanniocalcin 2 as a prognostic marker in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stanniocalcins are glycoprotein hormones that were originally found in the endocrine gland of bony fish. Microarray expression data from 32 paired samples of gastric cancer and normal mucosa in a public microarray database showed that the expression level of Stanniocalcin 2 was higher in gastric cancer than in normal gastric mucosa. The clinical significance of Stanniocalcin 2 expression has been observed for several cancers. However, the relationship between Stanniocalcin 2 and clinicopathological factors in gastric cancer has not yet been investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the clinical significance of Stanniocalcin 2 in gastric cancer in 108 gastric cancer samples using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Immunohistochemical studies were conducted with paraffin sections. The suppression analysis of Stanniocalcin 2 using siRNA was done to determine Stanniocalcin 2's biological roles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The level of Stanniocalcin 2 in cancer tissues was higher than in normal tissues (P = .0002). The high Stanniocalcin 2 expression group (n = 54) had more progressive lymph node metastasis (P = .07) and venous invasion (P = .028) than the low-expression group (n = 54). High Stanniocalcin 2 expression was an independent prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients (P = .02). Moreover, siRNA suppression of Stanniocalcin 2 in a gastric cancer cell line inhibited cellular proliferation (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high expression level of Stanniocalcin 2 in gastric cancer tissues could be a very powerful marker of poor prognosis. Therefore, Stanniocalcin 2 is a promising candidate for a molecular target for the treatment of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical Institute of Bioregulation, Kyushu University, Beppu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yokobori
authors.forename: Koshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mimori
authors.forename: Hideshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwatsuki
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamohara
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ieta
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D018279:Carcinoma, Signet Ring Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010534:Peritoneal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000556:secondary; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; C114997:STC2 protein, human