Table IV.

Correlation of ASS expression in cancer cells and the tumor/normal ratio of ASS expression with clinical outcomes of patients with gastric cancer.

	ASS expressiona in cancer cells (n=35)		Tumor/normal ratio of ASS expressiona (n=35)
Characteristics	Median (range)	P-value	Median (range)	P-value
All patients	0.65 (0.73)b 0.39 (0.02–3.74)c		1.13 (0.74)b 1.01 (0.38–3.79)c
Clinical outcome		0.109		0.867
Alive	0.31 (0.06–3.74)		1.09 (0.39–3.79)
Death due to cancer	0.40 (0.02–1.29)		1.01 (0.47–1.72)
Death due to other causes	1.00 (0.50–1.72)		0.86 (0.69–1.40)
Recurrence	0.43 (0.02–1.29)	0.933	1.02 (0.47–2.61)	0.987
No recurrence	0.32 (0.06–3.74)		1.00 (0.38–3.79)
Liver metastasis	0.43 (0.02–1.24)	1.000	0.86 (0.47–2.61)	0.732
No liver metastasis	0.36 (0.06–3.74)		1.01 (0.38–3.79)
Local recurrence	0.27 (0.08–0.45)	0.392	1.38 (1.03–1.72)	0.276
No local recurrence	0.37 (0.02–3.74)		0.97 (0.38–3.79)
Peritoneal carcinomatosis	0.35 (0.02–0.51)	0.246	1.00 (0.47–1.65)	0.923
No peritoneal carcinomatosis	0.37 (0.06–3.74)		0.97 (0.38–3.79)
Lymphoid system metastasisd	0.39 (0.02–0.50)	0.399	0.69 (0.47–1.72)	0.210
No lymphoid system metastasis	0.33 (0.06–3.74)		1.08 (0.38–3.79)
Lung metastasis	0.37 (0.02–0.51)	0.569	0.53 (0.47–1.24)	0.111
No lung metastasis	0.37 (0.06–3.74)		1.02 (0.38–3.79)
Bone metastasis	0.50 (0.35–0.51)	0.561	0.69 (0.48–1.24)	0.383
No bone metastasis	0.33 (0.02–3.74)		1.01 (0.38–3.79)
Other metastasise	0.40 (0.08–0.51)	0.674	1.24 (1.03–1.65)	0.232
No other metastasis	0.35 (0.02–3.74)		0.94 (0.38–3.79)

^aExpression of ASS protein is presented as the ratio of the expression of ASS to that of β-actin, as determined by western blotting.

^bData presented are the mean (SD).

^cData presented are the median (range).

^dIncluding metastasis to the spleen or other intra-abdominal lymph nodes, such as the hepatoduodenal, retropancreatic, mesenteric, or para-aortic nodes.

^eIncluding brain and colon metastases and anastomotic recurrence.

ASS, argininosuccinate synthetase; n, number; SD, standard deviation.