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BMC Cancer
Published in: BMC Cancer 1/2012

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Research article

Expression profile and prognostic role of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer

Authors: Lu Gan, Jian He, Xia Zhang, Yong-Jie Zhang, Guan-Zhen Yu, Ying Chen, Jun Pan, Jie-Jun Wang, Xi Wang

Published in: BMC Cancer | Issue 1/2012

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Abstract

Background

Increasing interest has been devoted to the expression and possible role of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer, but most of these findings are controversial. In the present study, the expression profile of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer and their clinicopathological and prognostic value were determined in a large Chinese cohort.

Methods

The mRNA and protein expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), progesterone receptor (PR), and androgen receptor (AR) in primary gastric tumors and corresponding adjacent normal tissues from 60 and 866 Chinese gastric cancer patients was detected by real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry method, respectively. The expression profile of the four receptors was compared and their associations with clinicopathological characteristics were assessed by using Chi-square test. The prognostic value of the four receptors in gastric cancer was evaluated by using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis.

Results

The presence of ERα, ERβ, PR, and AR in both gastric tumors and normal tissues was confirmed but their expression levels were extremely low except for the predominance of ERβ. The four receptors were expressed independently and showed a decreased expression pattern in gastric tumors compared to adjacent normal tissues. The positive expression of the four receptors all correlated with high tumor grade and intestinal type, and ERα and AR were also associated with early TNM stage and thereby a favorable outcome. However, ERα and AR were not independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer when multivariate survival analysis was performed.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that the sex hormone receptors may be partly involved in gastric carcinogenesis but their clinicopathological and prognostic significance in gastric cancer appears to be limited.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Expression profile and prognostic role of sex hormone receptors in gastric cancer
Authors
Lu Gan
Jian He
Xia Zhang
Yong-Jie Zhang
Guan-Zhen Yu
Ying Chen
Jun Pan
Jie-Jun Wang
Xi Wang
Publication date
01-12-2012
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Cancer / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2407
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2407-12-566

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