MTA2 and gastric cancer: In order to evaluate CIAPIN1, MTA2, and UXT genes for their potential role in predicting distant metastasis in patients with early-stage GC, we compared their mRNA and protein expression profiles in M0 and M1 patients, including only patients with non-invasive GC (T1/T2) and lymph node negative patients (N0) (n = 68).