Study on the Relationship between Expression of LGR5 and Clinicopathological Characteristics in Gastric Cancer Patients

Abstract

The aim of the study was to clarify the role of LGR5 in the process of formation and development of gastric cancer. The expression of LGR5 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. LGR5 gene and protein expression in gastric cancer tissues was in both cases significantly higher than in corresponding non-cancerous gastric tissues (both P < 0.05), 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 pre-operation of patients (P > 0.05, respectively). Furthermore, LGR5 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 LGR5 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.