Brief Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 14, 2010; 16(26): 3325-3329
Published online Jul 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i26.3325
Relationship between let-7a and gastric mucosa cancerization and its significance
Yi-Min Zhu, Zheng-Xiang Zhong, Zhi-Ming Liu
Yi-Min Zhu, Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
Zheng-Xiang Zhong, Department of General Surgery, The Second Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang Province, China
Zhi-Ming Liu, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
Author contributions: Zhu YM and Liu ZM planed the study; Zhu YM performed the research and wrote the paper; Zhong ZX revised the manuscript.
Supported by Research Grants from the Key Science and Technology Projects of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Correspondence to: Zhi-Ming Liu, Professor, Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. zym330422@163.com
Telephone: +86-771-5356738 Fax: +86-771-5356738
Received: January 12, 2010
Revised: April 30, 2010
Accepted: May 7, 2010
Published online: July 14, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To investigate let-7a expression and analyze the correlation between let-7a and progression of gastric mucosa cancerization.

METHODS: The tissue microarray was constructed previously in 52 cases of human gastric carcinoma, 17 cases of chronic atrophic gastritis (atypical hyperplasia) and 11 cases of normal gastric tissue, and tissue microarrays combined with in situ hybridization were used to detect the expression of let-7a.

RESULTS: The positive rates of let-7a in normal gastric tissue, chronic atrophic gastritis and gastric carcinoma were 90.9%, 88.2% and 86.5%, respectively, without significant differences among the groups (P > 0.05). However, an intense signal of let-7a was observed in gastric epithelial cells, whereas a less intense signal was found in gastric atypical hyperplasia epithelial cells and a weak signal in gastric carcinoma epithelial cells. The expression of let-7a decreased along with the progression of gastric mucosa cancerization (P < 0.05). In the group of gastric carcinoma, the expression of let-7a was even significantly lower in gastric carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Gastric carcinoma has relatively lower expression of let-7a. Reduced let-7a may be a fundamental factor in the formation and lymph node metastasis of gastric carcinoma.

Keywords: Tissue microarray; In situ hybridization; MicroRNA; Gastric carcinoma; Precancerous lesions