The expression level of miR-203 in patients with gastric cancer and its clinical significance

Abstract

BackgroundThe clinical significance of miR-203 and its prognostic value have not been investigated in gastric cancer. MethodsWe assessed miR-203 expression in 141 gastric cancer samples and 141 paired non-cancerous samples by real-time PCR and calculated using the 2−ΔΔCt method. Differences between groups were examined for statistical significance by Student’s t-test. Survival curves were computed by the Kaplan-Meier method, and differences between survival curves were compared by the log rank test. ResultsThe expression of miR-203 was significantly lower in gastric cancer samples compared to non-cancerous samples (P<0.0001). Low miR-203 expression was found to be closely correlated with advanced stage (p=0.005), and lymph node involvement (p=0.009). Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test indicated that low miR-203 expression had a significant impact on overall survival (39.4% vs. 62.5%; P=0.043) and progression-free survival (32.5% vs. 58.6%; P=0.023). Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that miR-203 expression level was independent prognostic factors for overall survival (HR=2.73, 95% CI: 1.69–8.91; P=0.01), as well as progression-free survival (HR=4.19, 95% CI: 2.91–10.12; P=0.005). ConclusionOur data validate an important clinical significance of miR-203 in gastric cancer, and reveal that it might be a potential prognostic factor for gastric cancer. Large- scale and long-term follow-up studies are needed to confirm the significance of miR-203 in gastric cancer.