title: [Association of transcriptional repressor Snail with Lauren classification of gastric cancer].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the association of Snail expression and Lauren classification of gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The protein levels of Snail and E-cadherin were detected by Western blot in N87 (intestinal-type gastric cancer cell line) and AGS(diffuse-type gastric cancer cell line) cell lines and those after transfection of GSK-3β plasmid. The study included a total of 77 patients with primary gastric cancer who underwent curative gastrectomy in the Zhongshan Hospital from February 2000 to December 2005 without any chemotherapy or radiation therapy before surgery. Tissues of gastric cancer specimens were stained using immunohistochemistry to determine Snail expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Snail expression was low in N78 and high in AGS. E-cadherin expression showed reverse expression pattern. After transfection with GSK-3β, the expression of Snail was significantly suppressed and that of E-cadherin elevated (P<0.01). Different concentrations of GSK-3β inhibitor lithion chloride were used to treat the cell lines and Snail expression was significantly up-regulated in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). Snail expression was elevated in 16 out of 21 N78 cell lines, and in 21 out of 56 AGS cell lines, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The expression of Snail is closely associated with the Lauren classification of gastric cancer, and it may be a potential marker of the gastric cancer classification.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Hong-yong
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xue-fei
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhen-bin
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Wei-dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yi-hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; C513384:CDH1 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; D000071250:Snail Family Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3