Reduced expression of circulating microRNA-218 in gastric cancer and correlation with tumor invasion and prognosis

Table 1 microRNA-218 expression in sera of normal subjects and gastric cancer patients

Parameters	n	microRNA-218 expression			P value
		Low	Middle	High
Age					0.0816
≤ Mean	22	11	8	3
> Mean	46	24	16	6
Gender					0.0866
Male	49	24	19	6
Female	19	11	4	4
Location					0.916
Upper	19	9	8	2
Middle	12	6	5	1
Lower	37	20	10	7
T-stage1					0.018
T1	19	4	12	3
T2	17	9	6	2
T3	15	10	3	2
T4a	10	6	3	1
T4b	7	4	3	0
N- stage1					0.021
N0	16	3	6	7
N1	11	6	4	1
N2	10	7	2	1
N3a	2	2	0	0
Nx	29	16	10	3
Metastasis1					0.003
Metastasis	28	20	6	2
Non-metastasis	40	11	19	10
Grade2					0.012
Well differentiated	26	10	13	3
Moderately differentiated	24	12	9	3
Poorly differentiated	18	15	1	2
Resection					0.0662
Resections	39	18	12	9
No-resections	29	16	10	3

¹Tumor stage was determined using the 2009 TNM staging classification system.

²Tumor grade was determined using the Fuhrman classification system (well differentiated = grade 1/2; moderately differentiated = grade 3; and poorly differentiated = grade 4).