title: Clinical significance of SPARC gene expression in patients with gastric cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is one of the first known matricellular proteins that modulates interactions between cells and extracellular matrix. Recent studies investigated the clinical significance of SPARC gene expression in the development, progression, and metastasis of cancer. The present study examined the relations of the relative expression of the SPARC gene to clinicopathological factors and overall survival in patients with gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied surgical specimens of cancer tissue and adjacent normal mucosa obtained from 227 patients with previously untreated gastric cancer. The relative expression levels of SPARC mRNA in cancer tissue and in adjacent normal mucosa were measured by quantitative real-time, reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relative expression level of the SPARC gene was higher in cancer tissue than in adjacent normal mucosa. High expression levels of the SPARC gene were related to serosal invasion (P = 0.046). Overall survival at 5 years differed significantly between patients with high SPARC gene expression and those with low expression (P = 0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overexpression of the SPARC gene may be a useful independent predictor of outcomes in patients with gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Takanobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kunisaki
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
authors.forename: Takaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akaike
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rino
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imada
authors.forename: Munetaka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masuda
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015676:Osteonectin / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015676:Osteonectin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C577241:SPARC protein, human
keywords: SPARC; gastric cancer; prognostic factor