The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of survivin expression and the decrease or loss of KAI-1 on the clinical stage and the survival rate in gastric adenocarcinomas.

Expressions of survivin and KAI-1 were immunohistochemically determined in 40 cases of gastric adenocarcinomas. The survivin and KAI-1 expressions were also analyzed by using western blots in 14 cases among them.

Resected gastric cancer specimens from 40 patients (intestinal type: 15 cases and diffuse type: 25 cases) were evaluated immunohistochemically. Survivin protein expressions were significantly higher in diffuse types (P=0.03) and in advanced clinical stages (UICC TNM II and III, P=0.02). In contrast, a decrease or loss of KAI-1 expression had no statistically significant correlation with the Lauren classification or the clinical stage. Survivin protein positivity was associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Decrease or loss of KAI-1 was associated with a shorter disease free survivial rate (P<0.01). The western blot data (n=14) indicated that neither survivin protein over-expression nor KAI-1 down-expression had an significant correlation with the Lauren classification or the clinical stage.

In gastric carcinomas, survivin over-expression and decrease or loss of KAI-1 were associated with unfavorable prognosis, being independent prognostic factors along with the clinical stage and the disease free survival rate.