CCNE1 Gene Amplification Might Be Associated with Lymph Node Metastasis of Gastric Cancer

Background: Lymph node (LN) metastasis is one of the most frequent metastatic patterns in patients with gastric cancer (GC); however, few genes predictive of LN status in GC have been identified. Aims: We aimed to identify candidate genes associated with LN metastasis by analyzing the Center for Cancer Genomics and Advanced Therapeutics (C-CAT) database and performing immunohistochemical analysis of GC cases at our hospital. Patients and Methods: A total of 2028 GCs from the C-CAT database were enrolled to identify genetic alterations. A total of 360 GC patients who underwent gastrectomy at our hospital were enrolled to examine the clinical significance of CCNE1 expression via an immunohistochemical study. Results: A total of 977 cases out of 2028 GC patients showed LN metastasis. Genetic alterations of ERBB2, CCNE1, MYC, ZNF217, and GNAS were frequent in the LN metastasis group. CCNE1-positive expression was found in 108 (30.0%) of the 360 GC samples. LN metastasis was significantly (p = 0.01) more frequent in CCNE1-positive patients. In addition, the CCNE1-positive group had a significantly (p < 0.001) poorer prognosis than the CCNE1-negative group, which was especially evident for GC patients at stage I. CCNE1 positivity was significantly (p < 0.001) correlated with postoperative recurrence. Conclusions: CCNE1 gene amplification is associated with LN metastasis of GC.