Clinicopathological significance of B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 expression in gastric carcinoma and its precancerous lesion

AIM: To explore the relation between B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 (Bmi-1) expression and the clinicopathological features of gastric carcinoma (GC). METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Bmi-1 and ki-67. Doublelabeling staining was used to display the distribution of Bcl-2+/ki-67- cells in 162 cases of GC and its matched normal mucosa and precancerous lesion. RESULTS: The positive rate of Bmi-1 expression in GC (52.5%) was significantly higher than that in normal gastric mucosa (21.6%, c2 = 33.088, P < 0.05). The Bmi-1 expression in GC was closely related with the Lauren's and Borrmann's classification and clinical stage (c2 = 4.400, 6.122 and 11.190, respectively, P < 0.05). The expression of ki-67 was related to the Borrmann's classification (c2 = 13.380, P < 0.05). Bcl-2 expression was correlated with the Lauren's classification (c2 = 4.725, P < 0.05), and the Bmi-1 expression both in GC ( rk = 0.157, P < 0.05) and in intestinal metaplasia ( rk = 0.270, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Abnormal Bmi-1 expression in GC may be involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis and cancerization. This marker can objectively indicate the clinicopathological characteristics of GC.