title: Prognostic value of microRNA-126 and CRK expression in gastric cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MicroRNA (miR)-126, acting as a tumor suppressor, has been reported to inhibit the invasion of gastric cancer cells in part by targeting v-crk sarcoma virus CT10 oncogene homologue (CRK). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of miR-126/CRK axis in gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  miR-126 and CRK mRNA expression levels were detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in 220 self-pairs of gastric cancer and adjacent noncancerous tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Expression levels of miR-126 and CRK mRNA in gastric cancer tissues were, respectively, lower and higher than those in adjacent noncancerous tissues (bothP<0.001). Low miR-126 expression and high CRK expression, alone or in combination, were all significantly associated with positive lymph node and distant metastases and advanced TNM stage of human gastric cancer (allP<0.05). We also found that the overall survival rates of the patients with low miR-126 expression and high CRK expression were, respectively, shorter than those with high miR-126 expression and low CRK expression. Interestingly, miR-126-low/CRK-high expression was associated with a significantly worse overall survival of all miR-126/CRK groups (P<0.001). Moreover, multivariate analysis identified miR-126 and/or CRK expression as independent prognostic factors for patients with gastric cancer. Notably, the prognostic relevance of miR-126 and/or CRK expression was more obvious in the subgroup of patients with TNM stage IV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dysregulation of miR-126/CRK axis may promote the malignant progression of human gastric cancer. miR-126 and CRK combined expression may serve as an independent predictor of overall survival in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an City.
authors: Shun
authors: S
authors: Yue
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, The Second People's Hospital of Huai'an, Huai'an City.
authors: Huichang
authors: H
authors: Shi
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Qinghai Province People's Hospital, Xining City, People's Republic of China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Han
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an City.
authors: Tiecheng
authors: T
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an City.
authors: Weiguo
authors: W
authors: Zhu
authors: Department of Medical Oncology, Huai'an First People's Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Huai'an City.
authors: Dahong
authors: D
authors: Zhang
keywords: miR-126; prognosis; real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction; v-crk sarcoma virus CT10 oncogene homologue