The expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 and KAI1 in gastric adenocarcinoma and their clinical significance

Background The most common reason for malignant tumor treatment failure is recurrence and metastasis. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) was originally identified as a metastatic and prognostic biomarker for colon cancer and later other solid tumors. Kangai 1 (KAI1), a marker of suppressor of metastasis, is also associated with metastasis and poor prognosis in many tumors. However, the prognostic value of either MACC1 or KAI1 in gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between MACC1 and KAI1 expression, as well as their respective correlation with clinicopathological features, to determine if either could be helpful for improvement of survival prognosis in GAC patients. Methods The expression levels of both MACC1 and KAI1 in 325 whole-tissue sections of GAC were examined by immunohistochemistry. Clinical data was also collected. Results MACC1 was significantly overexpressed in GAC tissues when compared to levels in normal gastric tissues; KAI1 was significantly down-expressed in GAC tissues when compared to levels in normal gastric tissues. Investigation of association between MACC1 and KAI1 protein levels with clinicopathological parameters of GAC indicated association between the expression of each with tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, invasive depth, and TNM stages. The overall survival time of patients with MACC1- or KAI1-positive GAC tumors was significantly shorter or longer than that of those who were negative. Importantly, multivariate analysis suggested that positive expression of either MACC1 or KAI1, as well as TNM stage, could be independent prognostic factors for overall survival in patients with GAC. Conclusions MACC1 and KAI1 may represent promising metastatic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as potential therapeutic targets, for GAC.