Gastric cancer patients less than 50 years of age exhibit significant downregulation of E-cadherin and CDX2 compared to older reference populations.

Purpose: There is an increasing need to identify molecular markers, which can be used to prognosticate patient populations in gastric cancer. Whereas a significant number have been identified, very few have been characterized in the context of their ability to discriminate between young and old age groups in which a survival difference clearly exists.

Material/methods: In this study, using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated three markers with proven involvement in gastric cancer.

Tumor suppressor Pdcd4 inhibits invasion/intravasation and regulates urokinase receptor (u-PAR) gene expression via Sp-transcription factors.

Tumor suppressor Pdcd4 has recently been shown to inhibit invasion by activating activator protein-1 (AP-1); however, little is known of the functionally significant Pdcd4-target genes. The urokinase receptor (u-PAR) promotes invasion/metastasis, and is associated with poor cancer-patient survival. The present study was conducted (1) to investigate a role for Pdcd4 in intravasation, invasion and u-PAR regulation, and (2) to describe mechanisms by which this is achieved.