Brief Article
Copyright ©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Nov 21, 2013; 19(43): 7795-7803
Published online Nov 21, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i43.7795
Identification of Annexin A1 protein expression in human gastric adenocarcinoma using proteomics and tissue microarray
Zhi-Qiang Zhang, Xiu-Juan Li, Gui-Tao Liu, Yu Xia, Xiang-Yang Zhang, Hao Wen
Zhi-Qiang Zhang, Yu Xia, Department of Gastroenterology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
Xiu-Juan Li, Xiang-Yang Zhang, Department of Pathophysiology, Collage of Preclinical Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
Gui-Tao Liu, Occupational Diseases Prevention and Treatment Institution, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
Hao Wen, Department of Liver and Laparoscopic Surgery, Digestive and Vascular Centre, the First Affiliated hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Zhang ZQ and Li XJ contributed equally to this work, designed this study, performed the major experiments, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript; Liu GT, Zhang XY and Xia Y participated in the performance of experiments and statistical analyses; and Wen H designed the study together and critically reviewed the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81001101; Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, No.2010211B20
Correspondence to: Hao Wen, Professor, Department of Liver and Laparoscopic Surgery, Digestive and Vascular Centre, the First Affiliated Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, No. 137 Liyushan South Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China. zhangzhiqiang011@126.com
Telephone: +86-991-4324139 Fax: +86-991-4324139
Received: June 30, 2013
Revised: August 23, 2013
Accepted: September 15, 2013
Published online: November 21, 2013
Abstract

AIM: To study the differential expression of Annexin A1 (ANXA1) protein in human gastric adenocarcinoma. This study was also designed to analyze the relationship between ANXA1 expression and the clinicopathological parameters of gastric carcinoma.

METHODS: Purified gastric adenocarcinoma cells (GAC) and normal gastric epithelial cells (NGEC) were obtained from 15 patients with gastric cancer by laser capture microdissection. All of the peptide specimens were labeled as 18O/16O after trypsin digestion. Differential protein expressions were quantitatively identified between GAC and NGEC by nanoliter-reverse-phase liquid chromatography-mass/mass spectrometry (nano-RPLC-MS/MS). The expressions of ANXA1 in GAC and NGEC were verified by western blot analysis. The tissue microarray containing the expressed ANXA1 in 75 pairs of gastric carcinoma and paracarcinoma specimens was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship between ANXA1 expression and clinicopathological parametes of gastric carcinoma was analyzed.

RESULTS: A total of 78 differential proteins were identified. Western blotting revealed that ANXA1 expression was significantly upregulated in GAC (2.17/1, P < 0.01). IHC results showed the correlations between ANXA1 protein expression and the clinicopathological parameters, including invasive depth (T stage), lymph node metastasis (N stage), distant metastasis (M stage) and tumour-lymph node metastasis stage (P < 0.01). However, the correlations between ANXA1 protein expression and the remaining clinicopathological parameters, including sex, age, histological differentiation and the size of tumour were not found (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The upregulated ANXA1 expression may be associated with carcinogenesis, progression, invasion and metastasis of GAC. This protein could be considered as a biomarker of clinical prognostic prediction and targeted therapy of GAC.

Keywords: Gastric cancer, Annexin A1 protein, Proteomics, Tissue microarray, Immunohistochemistry

Core tip: The anti-inflammatory protein Annexin A1 (ANXA1) mediates various important physiological and pathophysiological processes. Evidence has shown that ANXA1 is related to the development and progression of human multi-tumours. However, the ANXA1 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma of Chinese patients and the relationship between this protein and its clinicopathological parameters remain unclear. In the present study, the ANXA1 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma of Chinese patients was investigated by proteomics and western blot analysis. Authors examined 75 pairs of gastric adenocarcinoma and paracarcinoma tissues by tissue microarray to determine the presence of ANXA1 by immunohistochemistry. They found that ANXA1 expression was upregulated and involved in human gastric adenocarcinoma invasion and metastasis. Our findings suggested that ANXA1 might be used as a valuable biomarker in clinical diagnosis, prognostic prediction and targeted therapy of gastric cancer.