title: [Expression of HER-2 and leptin in gastric cancer and their clinical significance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the expression of HER-2 and leptin in gastric cancer and evaluate their relationship with VEGF expression and clinicopathological features, and their prognostic value for gastric cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and ten gastric cancer specimens and the corresponding metastatic lymph nodes were detected for HER-2 by immunohistochemistry (IHC). All primary cancer tissues were detected for leptin, OB-Rb and VEGF. Ninty-six specimens of normal gastric mucosa served as the control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression level of HER-2, leptin and OB-Rb in gastric cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in normal tissues (19.1% vs. 8.0%, 49.1% vs. 34.0%, and 60.9% vs. 46.0%, P < 0.05). HER-2 overexpression was moderately homogenous in primary gastric cancer and matastatic lymph nodes (P = 0.607, Kappa = 0.581). There was a correlation between the expression of HER-2 and leptin, both of which were significantly correlated with tumor invasion depth, metastatic lymph nodes ratio (NR), distal metastasis, TNM stage and VEGF expression. However, there was no significant correlation between OB-Rb expression and the clinicopathological features evaluated. Cox regression multivariate analysis showed that tumor size, histological grade, NR, stage, chemotherapy and HER-2 expression were independent prognostic factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HER-2 is stably expressed in primary gastric cancer and metastatic lymph nodes. HER-2 and leptin play an important role in the progression and angiogenesis of gastric cancer. High expression of HER-2 is a prognostic factor for poor outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Yi-ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Jin-rong
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-tao
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yong-qian
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Yong-mei
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D015996:Survival Rate; D047368:Tumor Burden; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C467484:VEGFA protein, human