Overexpression of RECQL4 is associated with poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer

The present study aimed to investigate the expression, clinical association, and prognosis of RecQ protein-like 4 (RECQL4) protein in human gastric cancers (GCs). The expression levels and prognostic value of RECQL4 were initially predicted by using bioinformatics. GC specimens and matched normal gastric tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and patient clinicopathological parameters and survival times were analyzed. Multivariate Cox analysis was used to determine the prognostic role of RECQL4 expression. The Oncomine database predicted that RECQL4 mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in GCs as compared with those in normal gastric tissues (P<0.05) and that patients with increased RECQL4 mRNA expression levels had significantly lower overall survival (OS) (P<0.001). The results of IHC showed that the positive rate of RECQL4 in the GC samples was significantly higher than that in the normal gastric mucosa specimens (P<0.05). RECQL4 expression was positively associated with depth of invasion and TNM (P<0.05). High RECQL4 expression in GC samples was significantly associated with poor OS (P=0.024). Positive RECQL4 expression, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, and TNM staging were independent factors for predicting worse OS rates by using multivariate analysis. Compared with expression levels in normal gastric tissues, RECQL4 was significantly overexpressed in GC samples, and increased RECQL4 expression was an independent predictor of poor prognosis in GC patients.