Expression of fatty acid‐binding protein‐4 in gastrointestinal stromal tumors and its significance for prognosis

Background Fatty acid‐binding proteins (FABPs) have been found to be involved in tumorigenesis and development. However, the role of FABP4, a member of the FABPs, in GISTs (Gastrointestinal stromal tumors) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression of FABP4 and its prognostic value in GISTs. Methods FABP4 expression in 125 patients with GISTs was evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis of tissue microarrays. The relationship between FABP4 expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis of GISTs was analyzed. Results Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that expression of FABP4 correlated with tumor size and mitotic index. Furthermore, FABP4 level, tumor size, mitotic index, and high AFIP‐Miettinen risk were independent prognostic factors in GISTs. The Kaplan‐Meier survival curve showed that the 5‐year survival rate of patients with high‐FABP4 expression GISTs was lower. Conclusions These results suggested that high‐FABP4 expression might be a marker of malignant phenotype of GISTs and poor prognosis. This study found that the high expression of FABP4 was associated with poor prognosis in patients with GISTs, suggesting that FABP4 could be used as an independent indicator to judge the prognosis of GISTs and serve as a potential therapeutic target.