Objective To investigate the expression of RNA binding protein HuR in gastric carcinoma and to analyze their clinical significance.Methods A total of 73 gastric cancer tissue samples of patients who underwent gastric surgery in Tongchuan mining bureau central hospital from August 2010 to March 2012 were included in this observational study.Meanwhile

21 patients with normal gastric tissues，who underwent gastrectomy during the same period，were included as control group.All expressions were examined by immunohistochemical techniques，and HuR expression was evaluated with cytoplasmic and nuclear staining respectively.The difference of HuR expression between normal gastric tissue and gastric cancer was compared.The relationship between HuR expression and clinicopathological features was explored in patients with gastric cancer.The difference in HuR expression between these two groups was compared.The relationship between expression of HuR and clinicopathological features was also explored in gastric cancer patients.Survival rates of HuR expression were compared by logarithmic rank test.Furthermore，the prognostic factors of radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were determined by COX model.Results In gastric cancer group，the expression rate of HuR in cancer cells was high in 53 specimens (72.6%;score 2，n=33;score 3，n=20).The expression rate of cytoplasm in cancer cells was high in 20 specimens (27.4%;score 2，n=13;score 3，n=7).Compared with normal gastric tissues，the expressions of HuR in nucleus and cytoplasm of gastric cancer cells were significantly increased(Z=5.269，8.475，P<0.001).No correlation between HuR expression and clinicopathological features was observed in the nucleus of cancer cells (P>0.05)，while HuR expression was significantly correlated with TNM stage，lymph node metastasis and tumor size in the cytoplasm of cancer cells(P<0.05).In cytoplasm，the median survival time of HuRnegative patients (median survival time was 54 months) was longer than that of HuRpositive patients (median survival time was 29 months) (P<0.001).Similarly，in the nucleus，the median survival time of HuR negative expression (median survival time was 52 months) was longer than that of HuR positive expression (median survival time was 44 months) (P=0.016).Multivariate cox regression model analysis showed the results that cytoplasmic HuR protein expression，tumor size，lymph node metastasis and TNM stage were independent prognostic factors affecting survival(P=0.046，0.041，0.035 and 0.012). Conclusion Cytoplasmic HuR expression was significantly associated with malignant aggressiveness and prognosis of gastric carcinoma patient

which was useful as a predictive marker of metastasis for patients with gastric cancer after radical gastrectomy.