title: Reduced expression of transcription factor AP-2α is associated with gastric adenocarcinoma prognosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to investigate the expression and prognostic significance of activator protein 2α (AP-2α) in gastric adenocarcinoma.
  
  
  RESULTS
  AP-2α expression was analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR), western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining methods on tissue samples from a consecutive series of 481 gastric adenocarcinoma patients who underwent resections between 2003 and 2006. The relationship between AP-2α expression, clinicopathological factors, and patient survival was investigated. RT- qPCR results showed that the expression of AP-2α mRNA was reduced in tumor tissue samples, compared with expression in matched adjacent non-tumor tissue samples (P = 0.009); this finding was confirmed by western blotting analysis (P = 0.012). Immunohistochemical staining data indicated that AP-2α expression was significantly decreased in 196 of 481 (40.7%) gastric adenocarcinoma cases; reduced AP-2α expression was also observed in patients with poorly differentiated tumors (P = 0.001) and total gastric carcinomas (P = 0.002), as well as in patients who underwent palliative tumor resection (P = 0.004). Additionally, reduced expression of AP-2α was more commonly observed in tumors that were staged as T4a/b (P = 0.018), N3 (P = 0.006), and M1 (P = 0.008). Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that reduced expression of AP-2α was associated with poor prognosis in gastric adenocarcinoma patients (P<0.001). Multivariate Cox analysis identified AP-2α expression as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR = 1.512, 95% CI = 1.127-2.029, P = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that AP-2α plays an important role in tumor progression and that reduced AP-2α expression independently predicts an unfavorable prognosis in gastric adenocarcinoma patients.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China and Department of Experimental Research, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jing-jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Ju-gao
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-bing
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong-qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qi-jin
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Shi-ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhi-wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jian-chuan
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2