Prostaglandin E Pathway Is Dysregulated in Gastric Adenocarcinoma in a Caucasian Population.

Gastric cancer (GC) represents the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The levels of prostaglandin E, a key player in the hallmarks of cancer, are mainly regulated by prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) and ATP-binding cassette subfamily C member 4 (ABCC4), involved in its synthesis and exportation, respectively, and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) and solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 2A1 (SLCO2A1), responsible for its inactivation. Even though there are distinct molecular signatures across ethnic populations, most published studies focus on Asian populations. Our main aim was to explore the genetic expression of the aforementioned molecules in a Caucasian population. 94 "Normal" and 89 tumoral formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples from GC patients were used to assess the mRNA expression of , , hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase 15-(NAD) (, by Real-Time PCR. We found an upregulation for the gene mean factor of 2.51 and a downregulation for the and genes (mean factor of 0.10 and 0.37, respectively) in tumorous mucosa in a gender-independent manner. In females, we observed an downregulation and a mRNA upregulation compared to males in tumoral mucosa (mean factor of 0.61 and 1.64, respectively). We reported dysregulation of the inflammation triggered PGE pathway in a Caucasian population with an intermediate risk for GC, which might highlight the applicability of aspirin in the treatment of GC patients.