Fragile histidine triad expression and its clinical significance in gastric cancer

Objective To determine the fragile histidine traid (FHIT) expression and to analyze its clinical significance in gastric cancer. Methods FHIT expression was determined using immunohistochemistry in 49 cases of gastric cancer, 21 cases of normal gastric mucous membrane, 31 cases of atrophic gastritis, and 27 cases of dysplasia, and the correlation between the absence of FHIT expression and the clinical staging, grade, and survival time in patients with gastric cancer was studied. Results The positive expression rate of FHIT gene was 18.4%, 27.3%, 55.6%, 74.2% and 100% in tissues of advanced stage gastric cancer, early stage gastric cancer, dysplasia, atrophic gastritis and normal gastric mucous membrane, respectively. The absence of FHIT gene correlated with advanced staging (P=0.001) and high histologic grade of cancer (P=0.002). Gastric cancer patients expressing FHIT gene died of their disease significantly later than those who did not express FHIT (Log rank=5.06, P=0.0245). There was no significanct difference in FHIT expression between patients with positive node metastasis and those without(P=0.065). Conclusions The absence of FHIT gene correlates with the pathogenesis, progression and prognosis of gastric cancer. To examine FHIT by immunohistochemistry will be a useful indicator of prognosis.