title: Ectopic expression of MECA-79 as a novel prognostic indicator in gastric cancer.
abstract: The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical implications of a unique carbohydrate determinant, MECA-79, in gastric cancer specimens and cells. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that 62 of 225 (27.6%) cases were defined as positive for MECA-79. MECA-79 expression was correlated with depth of invasion, venous invasion, TNM stage, and distant metastasis. In survival analyses, patients with MECA-79 expression had worse prognosis by the log-rank test. Multivariate analysis of the Cox proportional hazard model showed that MECA-79 expression was an independent factor of a worse cancer-specific survival. Among 11 gastric cancer cells, MECA-79 was observed in only MKN7 cells, which also expressed GlcNAc6ST-2 transcript. A knockdown of GlcNAc6ST-2 in MKN7 cells showed a markedly reduced expression of MECA-79, suggesting that GlcNAc-sulfation of MECA-79 is mainly synthesized by GlcNAc6ST-2. Furthermore, real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that GlcNAc6ST-2 was significantly increased in cancer tissues compared with paired normal mucosa. In conclusion, the expression of MECA-79 could be a useful marker for the prognosis of gastric cancer. Our results might also provide novel perspectives on the biology of MECA-79 and GlcNAc6ST-2 in cancer progression and metastasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Organ Regulatory Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okayama
authors.forename: Kensuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumamoto
authors.forename: Katsuharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saitou
authors.forename: Suguru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayase
authors.forename: Yasuhide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kofunato
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohki
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takenoshita
mesh_terms: D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C069886:L-selectin counter-receptors; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering