Abstract

ZNF797 plays an oncogenic role in gastric cancer

Author(s): D. Momenzadeh1, S. Rahman Zadeh1, M. Rezaei-Tavirani1, A. Baradaran-Rafii2, F. Ghasemvand1 and S. Heidari-Keshel1

Human cancer cells resemble stem cells in expression signatures leading them to share some features, most notably, selfrenewal. A complex network of transcription factors and signaling molecules are required for continuation of this trait. ZNF797 (SALL4) is a zinc finger transcriptional activator crucial for maintenance of self-renewal in stem cells; however, its expression level has not yet been elucidated in gastric tumor cells. Its expression was analyzed to determine this level and probable clinicopathological consequences. SALL4 expression in fresh tumor and distant tumor-free tissues from 46 colorectal samples was compared by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Greater than a 2-fold increase in SALL4 expression was detected in 89.5% of tumors vs normal related tissues. SALL4 expression was significantly correlated with tumor cell metastasis to lymph nodes, especially in moderately differentiated tumor samples (P < 0.05). Furthermore, higher levels of SALL4 mRNA expression were significantly associated with younger patients with tumor cells in stages I and II (P < 0.05).

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