A prognostic value of syndecan-1 in gastric cancer

Background: Syndecan-1, a cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycan, has a role in cell adhesion, maturation and proliferation. Syndecan-1 has been reported to be a promising prognostic marker in various cancer forms. Materials and Methods: We analysed tumour specimens from 296 gastric cancer patients. Syndecan-1 expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. Results: Syndecan-1 immunoreactivity was observed in 234 (79%) patients. The expression of syndecan-1 did not correlate significantly with the presence of lymph node metastases, distant metastases, peritoneal spreading, penetration depth, tumour size, tumour location, Borrmann's classification, Lauren's classification, age ol gender: Syndecan-1 immunoreactivity correlated significantly with survival in the whole patient series (p=0.0499) and also in the subgroup of patients with stage I cancel (p = 0.0417), but not in patients with stage II, III or IV disease. In multivariate survival analysis, stage of disease and tumour size emerged as the only independent prognostic factors. Conclusions: In conclusion, immunohistochemical expression of syndecan-1 is a potential prognostic factor in gastric cancer, especially in patients with stage I disease.