Expressions And Clinical Significance Of Sonic Hedgehog In Gastric Cancer

ObjectiveTo explore the expression of Sonic Hedgehog(Shh) in gastric cancer specimens and normal tissues, and to investigate the clinical significance and prognostic value of Sonic Hedgehog in gastric cancer.Material and Method123 primary gastric cancer samples and 10 adjacent normal mucosa specimens were selected from 2004 to 2005. The expression of Shh was detected with immunochemistry staining, the relationship between the expression of Sonic Hedgehog and clinicopathological features of gastric cancer was analyzed.Results(1) The expression of Shh in gastric cancer samples was significantly stronger than that in normal tissues (P<0.001). The positive rate was 79.7%in all gastric cancer samples, compared with 30%(3 cases) positive in normal gastric mucosa(3/10,30%).(2)There were no significant differences in Shh staining intensity among ages, gender and tumor location. Shh staining intensity were higher in bigger size(diameter > 5cm), undifferentiated histological types as well as distant metastasis(P<0.05). Shh staining intensity showed an increasing tendency along tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis and TNM staging, (P<0.001). and the differences had statistical significance.(3)The 1 year,3 year and 5 year survival rate of Shh negative staining were 100.0%,100.0%and 94.7%, weak positive staining were 100.0%,89.5%及73.7%, respectively; positive staining were 64.9%,46.7%and 36.0%, respectively; strong positive staining were 0.5%,0%and 0%, respectively. With the elevation of Shh staining intensity in gastric cancer samples, the survival date showed a declined tendency, and the differences had statistical significance.(4)Univariate analysis revealed that Shh staining intensity was one of the prognostic factors. Moreover, multifactor survival analysis shows that not only distant metastasis and radical surgery, but also the Shh staining intensity were independent prognostic factors of included gastric cancer patients.Conclusion(1) The expression of Shh was significantly higher in gastric cancer specimens than in normal gastric mucosa, indicated that Sonic hedgehog signal was activated in gastric cancer tissues.(2) Shh staining intensity were higher with the increment of malignancy of clinicopathological factors, such as tumor size, histological type, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis, suggested that Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway played an important role in tumor development.(3) The expression of Shh was an independent prognostic factor of gastric cancer patients, reveled that the expression of Shh may be able to predict prognosis of gastric cancer patients.