Long noncoding RNA microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma is an indicator of poor prognosis and a potential therapeutic target in gastric cancer

Background: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to have a fundamental role in cancer initiation and development. LncRNA microvascular invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (MVIH) has been identified as a potential prognostic marker in several cancers; however, its role in gastric cancer (GC) has not been elucidated. Materials and Methods: A total of 152 tissue samples from patients underwent GC surgical resection in Linyi People's Hospital between 2007 and 2010 were collected. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was conducted to examine the expression level of lncRNA MVIH. The selection of clinically important cut-off scores for MVIH expression was based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Then, the association between MVIH and GC clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. Moreover, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed to reveal the relationship between MVIH and GC prognosis. Results: GC tissues exhibited a higher lncRNA MVIH expression level than paired nontumoros tissues. High MVIH level was revealed to be associated with the T stage, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and lymphatic metastasis of GC. Specially, patients with high MVIH expression level showed significantly shorter overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate. Moreover, invasion depth, distant metastasis, TNM stage, and MVIH expression were identified as risk factors of GC poor prognosis on univariate Cox regression analyses. By further analyzing these factors with multivariate logistic regression, high MVIH, and distant metastasis were discovered to be independent risk factors of GC prognosis. Conclusions: High MVIH is an independent risk factor of GC prognosis. LncRNA MVIH may serve as a potential therapeutic target and a prognostic marker of GC patients