title: Decreased expression of T-cadherin is associated with gastric cancer prognosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression status of truncated-cadherin (T-cadherin) and its clinicopathological significance in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression status of T-cadherin was detected in a total of 103 surgical specimens of gastric cancer and 34 corresponding normal gastric tissues by real-time qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Correlation between the expression of T-cadherin and clinicopathological factors of gastric cancer was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  T-cadherin mRNA levels were significantly reduced in 29 (85.3%) tumor tissue samples, compared with levels in the adjacent normal tissue samples (p<0.01). This finding was confirmed by western blotting analysis (p<0.01) and immunohistochemistry analysis (p<0.01). Larger tumor size (diameter >4cm), lymph node metastasis, invasion into surrounding tissues, poor-differentiation and higher TNM stage of carcinoma were significantly correlated with decreased expression of T-cadherin (p<0.05 or p<0.01). Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that smaller tumor size (diameter =4cm), none lymph node metastasis, none invasion into surrounding tissues, well-differentiation, lower TNM stage and higher expression of T-cadherin were closely associated with increased overall survival (p<0.05 or p<0.01). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that positive expression of T-cadherin was a most important independent risk factor in gastric cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Expression of T-cadherin is an important independent prognostic predictor, which can be used as a biomarker of progression and prognosis in gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: YaPing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: YingHuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: JiRong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins; C099972:H-cadherin; D012333:RNA, Messenger