Background: In common with other investigators, we have reported the constitutive activation of transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in a variety of carcinomas, but there is no definite information on its clinical significance.
Materials and methods: NF-kappaB p65 activation was determined by immunohistochemical analysis of surgically resected specimens from 63 gastric carcinomas. The 63 patients were divided into a high NF-kappaB group (21 patients) and a low NF-kappaB group (42 patients). Forty-seven of the 63 patients underwent curative resection. The 47 patients consisted of 13 high NF-kappaB patients and 34 low NF-kappaB patients.
Results: The high NF-kappaB group demonstrated a shorter overall survival rate compared with the low NF-kappaB group (p=0.015). In the 47 patients who underwent curative resection, the high NF-kappaB group also showed a poor survival prognosis (p=0.032). Multivariate analysis indicated that NF-kappaB activation is a potential prognostic factor in gastric carcinoma.
Conclusion: Constitutive activation of NF-kappaB p65 may be a new prognostic parameter in gastric carcinoma.