High nucleostemin expression has a favorable prognostic effect on gastric carcinomas

Abstract

Background/aim: Nucleostemin is a nuclear protein that maintains stem cell features and plays a role as a cell proliferation marker. Italso participates in cell cycle regulation by interfering with other intracellular proteins. Recent reports have indicated that this proteinplays a role in ribosomal biogenesis and genome protection. High expression level of nucleostemin has been reported in some cancerpatients. However, the importance of nucleostemin in gastric cancer needs to be addressed. The aim of this study was to investigatenucleostemin expression in gastric cancer and the effects of this expression on prognosis.Materials and methods: Nucleostemin expression was assessed in 103 patients with gastric carcinomas via immunohistochemistry.Subsequently, relationships between nucleostemin expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis were evaluated.Results: In this study, there were 33 and 70 cases involving high and low nucleostemin expression, respectively. Nucleostemin expressionwas negatively correlated with lymphovascular invasion, the number of metastatic lymph nodes, extracapsular extension, and T stage.Disease-free survival and overall survival were markedly longer in patients with high nucleostemin expression.Conclusion: We suggest that nucleostemin is a favorable prognostic marker for gastric cancer patients. Our results are in conflict withprior studies. The prognostic effect of nucleostemin in gastric cancer remains to be solved.