Clinical significance of a new oncogenic factor P5CR1 in gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expression of pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (P5CR1) and its clinical significance and function in gastric cancer (GC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT- qPCR) and Western blot (WB) were performed to detect the expression of P5CR1 in GC tissues and normal cells. The correlation between the expression level of P5CR1 and the clinicopathological characteristics of GC patients was analyzed by the Chi-square test. Moreover, the potential of P5CR1 in predicting the postoperative prognosis of GC was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test model. Clone formation, flow cytometry, scratch wound healing, and transwell assay were performed to explore the effects of P5CR1 on cell function of GC. RESULTS: The expression of P5CR1 significantly increased in GC tissues and cell lines. Its expression was significantly correlated with tumor differentiation and TNM stage of GC patients. Moreover, the GC patients with lower expression of P5CR1 had a better overall survival (OS). In univariate analyses and multivariate analyses, the expression of P5CR1 was an independent prognosis index of GC. Knockdown of P5CR1 significantly attenuated clone formation, migration, and invasion abilities, while the apoptotic rate of GC cells increased. CONCLUSIONS: P5CR1 was a novel factor involved in GC progression and constituted a potential biomarker and therapeutic target of GC.