ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expressions of miR-101, protein kinase C-α (PKC-α), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in gastric cancer (GC) tissue and their correlations.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RT-qPCR was used to examine miR-101 expression and Western blotting employed to detect PKC-α and COX-2 expressions in 57 cases of gastric cancer tissues and paired normal gastric mucosal tissues.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The gastric cancer tissues showed a significantly lower miR-101 expression (Z=6.102, P<0.05) but significantly higher expressions of COX-2 (Z=14.436, P<0.05) and PKC-α (Z=6.955, P<0.05) than the normal gastric tissues. The expression of COX-2 protein was significantly correlated with the degree of differentiation, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05); PKC-α protein expression was associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM stage (P<0.05). PKC-α expression was positively correlated (r=0.531, P<0.05) and miR-101 expression negatively correlated (r=-0.627, P<0.05) with COX-2 expression in gastric cancer tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>miR-101, PKC-α and COX-2 all play a role in the tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer. miR-101 and PKC-α might be new potential therapeutic targets for inhibiting COX-2 in gastric cancer.</p>