title: Evaluation of the combined expression of chemokine SDF-1α and its receptor CXCR4 as a prognostic marker for gastric cancer.
abstract: Chemokine stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1α and its receptor CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been shown to impact cancer progression. Accumulating evidence suggests that CXCR4 and SDF-1α expression is useful for evaluating the risk of gastric cancer progression. Thus, combined analysis of SDF-1α and CXCR4 should have high prognostic potential as a molecular marker for gastric cancer. We investigated the expression of SDF-1α and CXCR4 using immunohistochemistry in relation to prognosis, clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes in 221 cases of primary gastric cancer. Patients were categorized into three groups according to CXCR4 and SDF-1α expression: high CXCR4/high SDF-1α, low CXCR4/low SDF-1α, and high CXCR4/low SDF-1α - low CXCR4/high SDF-1α. No significant differences were noted in age, gender, histology, tumor location, lymphovascular invasion or proportion of tumor size >5 cm among the three groups. However, high CXCR4/high SDF-1α expression in tumor cells was significantly associated with depth of invasion of the tumor, lymph node involvement, and higher tumor stage compared to tumors with low CXCR4/low SDF-1α expression or high CXCR4/low SDF-1α - low CXCR4/high SDF-1α expression. Furthermore, patients with high CXCR4/high SDF-1α expression had the worst patient prognosis, whereas patients who had low CXCR4/low SDF-1α expression showed the most favorable prognosis. In conclusion, CXCR4 and SDF-1α are useful prognostic factors in gastric cancer, and the combination of high CXCR4 protein expression with high SDF-1α expression suggests a dismal prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine.
authors.forename: Hyo Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Song Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ha Yon
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yoon Suk
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Zhe Long
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jeong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ki Min
authors.forename: Hwan Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Sul
authors.forename: Samyong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Deog Yeon
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Jo
authors.forename: Jin Man
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim