Abstract: 【ABSTRACT】 BACKGROUNG ＆ AIM: This study was designed to investigate the relationship between RUNX3 protein expression and gastric carcinogenesis and lymph node metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Detecting RUNX3 protein expression in gastric carcinoma by citrate-microwave-SP immunohistochemical method and western blot. RESULTS: The positive rate of RUNX3 was 100％ in normal gastric tissues and 51.13％ in gastric carcinoma. 48.87％ gastric carcinoma had loss of RUNX3 protein and correlated with histological types and lymph node metastasis. The expression of RUNX3 was obviously lower in gastric carcinoma than in normal stomach as shown by western blot. RUNX3 protein in well differentiated was higher than in poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma. CONCLUSION: RUNX3 gene may be one of the important candidate tumor suppressor genes in carcinogenesis of GC.

Key words: gastric carcinoma, immnuohistochemistry, RUNX3 protein