Abstract
To investigate Beclin-1 expression in gastric cancer and its clinical relevance, 60 samples were collected from patients with gastric carcinoma, which were subjected to immunohistochemical staining and analysis. Associations of Beclin-1 expression with the clinical parameters of the patients, including tumor size, histological differentiation and metastatic status, were examined by statistical analysis. The results demonstrated that Beclin-1 expression in gastric carcinoma tissue was significantly associated with the tumor, node, metastasis stage and tumor invasion status. Further experiments indicated that Beclin-1 overexpression promoted MKN-45 gastric cancer cell apoptosis and inhibited their migration. These data suggested that Beclin-1 was a suppressor of tumorigenesis in gastric cancer and a potential therapeutic target for patients with gastric cancer.