Overexpression of periostin is positively associated with gastric cancer metastasis through promoting tumor metastasis and invasion.

BACKGROUND: Gastric tumors generally have a poor prognosis and molecular markers to improve early detection and predict outcomes are greatly needed. The present study reports that periostin (POSTN), a secretory protein that can alter the remodeling of the extracellular matrix, is highly expressed in gastric tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Gastric tissues were collected from patients at the Department of Thoracic Surgery/Huiqiao Medical Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University. These patients provided an informed consent and were approved by the institute. Normal, cancer, and metastatic gastric tissues from lymph nodes and tissues adjacent to the tumor were collected from patients diagnosed with gastric cancer.

RESULTS: Periostin expression gradually increased as the risk grade of the NIH classification increased, and this was closely correlated with disease-free survival and overall survival. Compared with adjacent normal gastric mucosa tissues, protein expression of POSTN in gastric cancer tissues and metastases was significantly higher by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. In addition, POSTN was upregulated in advanced gastric cancer tissues than in early gastric cancer tissues. Moreover, the ectopic expression of POSTN in the immortalized human gastric cell line could increase the metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

CONCLUSION: The present results could establish the significance of POSTN in driving oncogenesis and metastasis in gastric tumors, with implications for its potential use as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker, and as a candidate therapeutic target.