Loss of GNE Predicts Lymph Node Metastasis in Early Gastric Cancer
Xinying Guo,
Jie Gu,
Anwei Xue,
Shushu Song,
Bo Liu,
Xiaodong Gao,
Jianxin Gu,
Lei Chang,
Yuanyuan Ruan
Affiliations
Xinying Guo
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Jie Gu
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Anwei Xue
Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Shushu Song
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Bo Liu
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Xiaodong Gao
Department of General Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Jianxin Gu
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Lei Chang
State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Center for Protein Sciences (Beijing), Beijing Institute of Lifeomics, Beijing 102206, China
Yuanyuan Ruan
NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugates Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
Endoscopic surgery is increasingly utilized for the treatment of early gastric cancer (EGC) worldwide, whereas lymph node metastasis (LNM) remains a critical risk factor for the relapse of EGC after endoscopic surgery. Therefore, identifying potential predictive factors and understanding the molecular mechanisms are urgently needed for improving the outcome of EGC patients with LNM. UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 2-epimerase/N-acetylmannosamine kinase (GNE) is the key enzyme in the process of biosynthesis of CMP-Neu5Ac from UDP-N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc), which acts as a substrate for several reactions in glycan metabolism. In this study, we found that GNE was down-regulated in EGC patients with LNM. GNE expression as well as localization, tumor size, intravascular tumor thrombi and Lauren’s classification were further identified as independent predictive factors for LNM. Combining GNE expression with traditional risk factors, including tumor size and differentiation degrees, could generate a better model for predicting LNM in EGC patients. Overall, our study implies that low GNE expression is a potential predictor of LNM in EGC.
