Table II.

Multivariate analysis for predictors of survival in the GC cohort using immunohistochemical analysis.

A, Overall survival
	Univariate			Multivariate
Variable	HR	95% CI	P-value	HR	95% CI	P-value
Gender (male)	1.75	0.83–3.68	0.14
Age (≧69 years old)a	2.44	1.29–4.6	0.006b	2.57	1.33–4.98	0.005b
Histological type (intestinal type)	0.99	0.53–1.84	0.97
T classification (pT3/4)	3.25	1.63–6.46	0.0008b	0.63	0.23–1.72	0.37
Vessel involvement (present)	2.89	1.38–6.09	0.005b	0.84	0.34–2.06	0.7
Lymphatic vessel involvement (present)	1.52	0.7–3.31	0.29
Lymph node metastasis (present)	5.21	2.52–10.8	<0.0001b	3.95	1.55–10.1	0.004b
Distant metastasis (present)	5.96	3.06–11.6	<0.0001b	3.28	1.47–7.34	0.004b
High METTL3 expressionc	4.39	2.23–8.65	<0.0001b	3.24	1.57–6.68	0.001b
B, Disease-free survival
	Univariate			Multivariate
Variable	HR	95% CI	P-value	HR	95% CI	P-value
Gender (male)	2.24	0.92–5.5	0.08
Age (≧69 years old)a	2.41	1.16–5.02	0.019b	1.7	0.79–3.67	0.18
Histological type (intestinal type)	0.85	0.41–1.78	0.67
T classification (pT3/4)	3.94	1.86–8.37	0.0003b	1.64	0.67–4.01	0.28
Vessel involvement (present)	1.98	0.93–4.19	0.08
Lymphatic vessel involvement (present)	1.24	0.57–2.7	0.6
Lymph node metastasis (present)	5	2.37–10.6	<0.0001b	3.36	1.39–8.12	0.007b
High METTL3 expressionc	3.4	1.63–7.09	0.001b	2.4	1.12–5.16	0.025b

^aMedian age at surgery was 69 years for GC patients;

^bP<0.05;

^cCutoff threshold of METTL3 expression was determined by ROC analysis with Youden's index for overall survival of GC patients. HR, hazard ratio; METTL3, methyltransferase-like 3; GC, gastric cancer.