The expression and clinical significance of serine hydroxymethyltransferase2 in gastric cancer

PeerJ. 2024 Jan 4:12:e16594. doi: 10.7717/peerj.16594. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumours in the digestive system. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 2 (SHMT2) is one of the key enzymes associated with serine metabolism. However, the prognostic role of SHMT2 in GC carcinogenesis has yet to be studied.

Methods: The expression of SHMT2 in human tumors and normal tissues was detected by the Assistant for Clinical Bioinformatics and Immunohistochemistry (IHC). The relationship of the expression of SHMT2 with clinical characteristics and survival data was analysed by the chi-square test, survival analysis and online databases. Finally, the correlation between SHMT2 expression and associated signalling channels, and molecules was analysed by online databases.

Results: SHMT2 was strongly expressed in numerous human cancers. The expression rate of SHMT2 was 56.44% in GC (P = 0.018). The survival analysis indicated that patients with high expression of SHMT2 had the worse overall survival (OS; log-rank P = 0.007). The expression of SHMT2 was correlated with tumour size (P = 0.034) and, TNM stage (P = 0.042). In particular, SHMT2, vessel invasion and M stage were independent factors for OS in GC (P = 0.044, P < 0.001, P < 0.001). The SHMT2 gene was substantially correlated with cell signalling pathways.

Conclusions: SHMT2 is highly expressed in GC and is associated with a poor prognosis. The exploration of its mechanism may be related to tumour proliferation, DNA repair and replication. SHMT2 is an independent prognostic risk factor and a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of GC.

Keywords: Biomarker; Gastric cancer; Prognosis; SHMT2.

MeSH terms

  • Carcinogenesis
  • Cell Division
  • Clinical Relevance
  • Computational Biology
  • Humans
  • Stomach Neoplasms* / genetics

Substances

  • SHMT protein, human

Grants and funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 81201955], the Key Scientific Research Projects of Universities in Henan Province [Grant No. 19A320080, No. 19B320010, No. 23A320027], the Medical Science and Technology Research Project of Henan Province [Grant No. SBGJ2018010] and the Foundation of the Department of Science and Technology of Henan Province [Grant No. 192102310384]. The Medical Science and Technology Research Project of Henan Province [Grant No. SBGJ202302050] supported the APC. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.