Conclusion
These findings provide novel evidence that MFAP2 plays a crucial role in the progression of GC. Therefore, MFAP2 may be a promising prognostic marker and a potent anticancer agent.
Methods
The current study investigated the expression patterns, prognostic significance, functional role, and possible mechanisms of MFAP2 in GC.
Results
We demonstrated that MFAP2 was overexpressed in GC tissues, and its overexpression was significantly correlated with poor overall and disease-free survival in patients with GC. Moreover, we found that MFAP2 promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in GC cells. MFAP2 might modulate EMT of GC cells by activating the TGF-β/SMAD2/3 signaling pathway.