Clinical Correlation Between WISP2 and β-Catenin in Gastric Cancer

Background: Evidence indicates that wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 1 (WNT1)-inducible signaling pathway protein 2 (WISP2) may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer (GC) by regulating the WNT/beta-catenin signaling pathway. In the present study, we investigated whether there is correlation between WISP2 and beta-catenin proteins, and their association with clinicopathological features in GC. Materials and Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was carried out on 119 paraffin-embedded gastric cancer tissues and 99 adjacent normal gastric tissues collected from patients with GC at the Beijing Cancer Hospital. Data were analyzed by Spearman rank correlation and Chi-square tests. Results: Both WISP2 and beta-catenin were more highly expressed in GC tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, Spearman rank correlation analysis showed positive correlation between WISP2 and beta-catenin (R=0.2254, p=0.0137). Additionally, their co-expression was seen in a higher proportion of patients with GC at early stage or without metastasis. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the expression of WISP2 and beta-catenin might be a favorable biomarker for prediction and prognosis in the early stage of GC.