Prognostic Significance of DNAJB4 Expression in Gastric Cancer: Correlation with CD31, Caspase-3, and Tumor Progression

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Gastric cancer is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide, with particularly high incidence and mortality rates in East Asia and Europe. DNAJB4 has been shown to have prognostic implications in other cancer types; however, its expression patterns and role in gastric cancer have not been extensively studied. This study aimed to analyze DNAJB4 expression in gastric cancer and explore its association with clinical characteristics, molecular markers, and patient outcomes. Methods: We selected suitable tumor samples from 189 gastric cancer patients who had not undergone chemotherapy or radiotherapy, with 188 patients ultimately included in the analysis. Tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate DNAJB4 expression, and the samples were divided into high- and low-expression groups based on the H-score. Multivariate logistic regression and survival analysis were conducted to identify influencing factors. Results: High DNAJB4 expression was significantly correlated with increased CD31 levels but was inversely associated with advanced cancer stages. Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients with advanced gastric cancer, high DNAJB4 expression was associated with increased caspase-3 levels and with elevated CD31 and decreased E-cadherin levels. Conclusions: High DNAJB4 expression was associated with both angiogenesis and apoptosis, indicating its complex role in gastric cancer progression. Although DNAJB4 promoted angiogenesis by increasing CD31 levels, it may also enhance apoptosis in tumor cells through caspase-3-induced apoptosis.

Keywords

• DNAJB4
• HLJ1
• gastric cancer
• CD31
• caspase-3