Expression of Trx-1, HIF-1α, and Their Associations with Clinicopathological Parameters in Gastric Cancer
Objectives: Thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) is a small redox protein that plays an important role in many biological processes. Although increased expression of Trx-1 in various solid tumors has been reported, its clinical significance and diagnostic value in human gastric cancer (GC) are not well defined. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is actively involved in the metabolism of many tumors; however, the relationship between its expression levels and clinical significance in GC still needs to be established.
Methods: In this study, the levels of HIF-1α and Trx-1 mRNA and protein in 20 freshly frozen GC and matched normal tissues were determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Additionally, an immunohistochemistry assay was performed to measure the protein levels of Trx-1 and HIF-1α in 162 GC samples.
Results: We observed that the Trx-1 mRNA and protein levels increased significantly in GC tissues, while that of HIF-1α also increased, and both were associated with a poor prognosis (p<0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that Borrmann type, Trx-1, and HIF-1α were independent predictors of GC prognosis (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Our results indicate that both Trx-1 and HIF-1α may be promising prognostic indicators and therapeutic targets for GC patients.
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