OBJECTIVETo investigate mRNA expression of syndecan-1 and heparanase in gastric carcinoma, and their correlation with the growth-pattern, invasion, metastasis and prognosis of gastric carcinoma.

METHODSIn situ hybridization technique was used to examine mRNA expression of syndecan-1 and heparanase in 118 specimens of gastric carcinoma.

RESULTSThe positive rates of syndecan-1 mRNA and heparanase mRNA were 42.4% and 55.9%, respectively. The expression of syndecan-1 mRNA and heparanase mRNA were related to tumor invasion depth (chi(2) = 32.95, P = 0.001; chi(2) = 23.19, P = 0.001), vessel invasion (chi(2) = 46.22, P = 0.001; chi(2) = 33.78, P = 0.001), lymph node (chi(2) = 28.62, P = 0.001; chi(2) = 25.43, P = 0.001) and distant metastasis (chi(2) = 63.30, P = 0.001; chi(2) = 65.76, P = 0.001), and syndecan-1 mRNA positive expression was related to tumor size (chi(2) = 6.25, P = 0.012). There was a negative relationship between Syndecan-1 mRNA and heparanase mRNA expression (r = -0.844, P = 0.001). The mean survival time of cases with low expression of syndecan-1 mRNA was significantly shorter than that of cases with high expression (r = 36.48, P = 0.001), and meanwhile, the mean survival time of heparanase mRNA positive cases was significantly shorter than that of cases with negative expression (r = 34.41, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe mRNA expression of syndecan-1 and heparanase can predict the invasion and metastasis of gastric carcinoma, and can be used as markers of prognosis of gastric carcinoma.