Synchronous high expression of both p-ATF1-T184 and MMP2, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis were prognosis factors of GC in univariate and multivariate Cox regressions (P = 0.010, P = 0.035, and P < 0.001, respectively, Table 2). Here, ATF1 is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.