The Roles of Connexin 26, 32, and 43 as Prognostic Factors for Gastric Cancer

Background/aim Altered connexin expression has been associated with cancer development and progression. This study evaluated connexin 26, 32, and 43 expression in association with the long-term outcomes of gastric cancer after gastrectomy. Patients and methods Pathological specimens were collected from 113 patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer, of whom 104 were included in the study. The expression levels of the connexins were assessed by immunohistochemistry. The patients were classified into low and high groups according to the median histoscore of connexin. Results Cancer-specific survival (CSS) was significantly longer in the high than low connexin 43 group (p=0.030), particularly in patients >65 years old (p=0.030). A multivariate analysis identified pathological stage, differentiation type, and connexin 43 expression as possible predictors of CSS in patients (difference in the area under the curve=0.232, 0.090, and 0.094). Conclusion Low connexin 43 expression predicted a poor CSS in gastric cancer patients after gastrectomy.