Prognostic Significance of ZKSCAN3 (ZNF306) Expression in Gastric Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Zinc finger protein ZKSCAN3 (ZNF306) is a promising oncogene candidate in colon, bladder, breast, uterine cervical, and prostate cancers. The present study aimed to investigate ZKSCAN3 protein expression in gastric carcinoma patient tissues and to evaluate oncological outcomes in these patients.

Materials And Methods: ZKSCAN3 was detected using the anti-ZKSCAN3 rabbit polyclonal antibody. For immunohistochemical examination, we used paraffin-embedded specimens from 87 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy. We investigated ZKSCAN3 expression in relation with patient prognosis and clinicopathological factors.

Results: ZKSCAN3 was detected in 28 (32.2%) tumour specimens, with significant association with lymphatic system invasion and distant metastasis. Patients with ZKSCAN3-positive tumours had worse overall survival (OS) than those with ZKSCAN3-negative tumours based on log-rank testing. Furthermore, multivariate analysis revealed that ZKSCAN3 was an independent prognostic parameter for OS (hazard ratio: 2.6379, p=0.0164).

Conclusion: ZKSCAN3 is a potential novel prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients.