Relationship between expression of Aurka and clinicopathological characteristics in gastric cancer patients

Abstract

The aim of the study was to clarify the role of Aurka in the process of formation and development of gastric cancer. The expression of Aurka in gastric cancer and corresponding non-cancerous gastric tissues of 52 gastric cancer patients was assessed with the real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. We also analyzed the relationship between the expression level and clinicopathological characteristics. Aurka gene and protein expression in gastric cancer tissues in both cases were significantly higher than in corresponding non-cancerous gastric tissues (both P < 0.01), but no significant relationship was found with clinicopathological parameters including tumor location, depth of invasion, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, stage, gender, age and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) level in peripheral blood preoperation of patients (P > 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, Aurka gene expression was markedly higher in gastric cancer tissues of Helicobacter pylori (HP)-positive patients than negative ones (P < 0.05). The result of the study showed that Aurka might play a significant role in the process of formation and development of gastric cancer as an oncogene. Its effect might be strengthened by HP infection.