Loss of imprinting of insulin-like growth factor 2 is associated with increased risk of lymph node metastasis and gastric corpus cancer

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine the clinicopathological features of gastric cancers with loss of imprinting (LOI) of LIT1. Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) and H19 in Chinese patients. METHODS: DNA and RNA from tumours were amplified and then digested with RsaI, ApaI and HinfI, and RsaI respectively to determine the LOI status. The demographic and clinicopathological characteristics in LOI positive and LOI negative patients were compared and tested with Statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of the 89 patients enrolled for analysis, 22, 40 and 35 were heterozygous and thus informative for LIT1, IGF2 and H19 LOI analyses respectively. The positive rate of LIT1, IGF2 and H19 LOI of gastric cancer tissues were 54.6% (12/22), 45% (18/40) and 8.6% (3/32) in Chinese patients. Gastric corpus cancer (8/10, 80%) were more likely to have LOI of IGF2 in tumours than antrum cancers (10/30, 33.3%){odds ratio (OR) = 8, 95% confidence intervals (CI) = 1.425-44.920, p = 0.018)}. LOI of IGF2 in tumours was also associated with the lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.084-18.689, p = 0.038). CONCLUSION: IGF2 LOI is present in high frequency in Chinese gastric cancer patients, especially those with gastric corpus cancer.