Overexpression of stromal interaction molecule 1 may promote epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and indicate poor prognosis in gastric cancer.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic significance of stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) expression in gastric cancer (GC) and examine the association between STIM1 and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT). Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect STIM1, E‑cadherin, β‑catenin and matrix metalloproteinase‑9 (MMP‑9) in 170 GC and 35 adjacent healthy gastric tissue samples. Positive staining of STIM1, E‑cadherin, β‑catenin and MMP‑9 in GC tissues was significantly greater compared with adjacent healthy tissues (P<0.05). Clinicopathological analysis revealed that STIM1 expression was significantly associated with LNM (P<0.001) and tumor‑node‑metastasis stage (P=0.01). The overall survival rate was significantly reduced in STIM1‑positive compared with STIM1‑negative patients (P=0.043). Cox regression analysis indicated that STIM1 expression and LNM were independent prognostic factors for GC. Chi‑square tests suggested that STIM1 expression in GC tissues was significantly associated with E‑cadherin (P<0.001) and β‑catenin (P<0.001), whereas no association was observed between STIM1 and MMP‑9 expression (P>0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that STIM1 may be a valuable prognostic marker in GC patients, and that STIM1 may increase GC motility and invasiveness by promoting epithelial‑mesenchymal transition.