Expression of RhoC Is Associated with Metastasis of Gastric Carcinomas

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Abstract
Objectives:RhoC, a member of the ras-related small GTPase protein family, regulates cytoskeletal structures and has the potential to transform cultured cells. It has recently been reported that RhoC contributes to the metastatic phenotype of melanoma cells. The purpose of this study was to clarify its biological relevance to gastric carcinogenesis and metastasis. Methods: We examined the expression of RhoC by quantitative RT-PCR in 51 cases of gastric carcinoma tissues from prior surgical cases (intestinal type: 24 cases, diffuse type: 27 cases) and in 8 gastric carcinoma cell lines. Results:RhoC expression levels in primary tumors were significantly higher in cases with metastasis than in those without metastasis (p = 0.0202; Mann-Whitney U test). RhoC expression levels in primary tumor and their metastatic tumors were significantly higher than their corresponding nonneoplastic mucosa (p = 0.0357, and 0.0173, respectively; Wilcoxon signed rank test). RhoC mRNA expression was confirmed in the gastric carcinoma cell lines. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that elevated expression of the RhoC gene may be involved in the metastasis of gastric carcinomas and may be a good genetic marker for the prediction of a metastatic potential.