Copy-number increase of AURKA in gastric cancers in a Chinese population: a correlation with tumor progression

The centrosome-associated kinase aurora A (AURKA) has been shown to be involved in genetic instability and to be over-expressed in several human carcinomas including gastric cancers (GCs). The chromosome locus of AURKA, 20q13, is frequently amplified in GCs, and the functional impact of such regions needs to be extensively investigated in large amount of clinical samples. Case-matched tissues of gastric carcinomas and adjacent normal epithelium (n = 141) were included in this study. Quantitative PCR was carried out to examine the copy number and mRNA expression of AURKA in GCs. Our results showed copy-number gains of AUKRA were detected in a relative high percentage of GC samples (30.5%, 43 out of 141). There was a positive correlation between copy-number increase of AURKA and tumor progression. And copy-number gains of AURKA also showed a positive correlation with mRNA over-expression in GCs. However, expression level of AURKA mRNA was also enhanced in the group of GC samples with unaltered copy numbers. These findings indicated that sporadic gastric cancers exhibit different mechanisms of AURKA regulation and that this may impact the efficacy of aurora-targeted therapies.