title: Clinical significance of insulin-like growth factor gene polymorphisms with survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) regulate a wide range of biological functions including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis through paracrine and autocrine mechanisms. Accordingly, the present study analyzed polymorphisms of IGF genes and their impact on the prognosis for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred-thirteen consecutive patients with GISTs who underwent curative surgery from 5 medical centers were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue, and four IGF-1 (+2995C/A, +533C/T, IVS2-16540A/G, Ex4-177G/C) and one IGF-2 (IVS1+1280A/G) gene polymorphisms were determined using a Sequenom MassARRAY system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With a median follow-up of 18.4 months, the estimated 5-year relapse-free survival and overall survival rates were 69.9% and 86.7%, respectively. In a multivariate analysis including age, gender, primary site of disease, pathology, and risk stratification, no significant association was observed between the polymorphism of the IGF-1 and IGF-2 genes and survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  None of the five IGF-1 and IGF-2 gene polymorphisms investigated in this study was found to be an independent prognostic marker for Korean patients with surgically resected GIST. However, further studies on a larger scale are warranted to clarify the role of IGF-1 and IGF-2 gene polymorphisms as a prognostic biomarker for GIST patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kyungpook National University Medical Center, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Ohkyoung
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Ho Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Wansik
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Han Ik
authors.initials: HI
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Yee Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Chae
authors.forename: Jong Gwang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung Woog
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Won Ki
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Lee