OBJECTIVES - The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of MIB-1, BCL-2, VEGFR3, and CD31 and their associations with long-term survival in patients with renal cell cancer (RCC).
PATIENTS AND METHODS - This study consisted of 224 RCC patients who underwent radical nephrectomy from 1985 to 1995.
Follow-up continued for up to over 20 years. MIB-1 and BCL-2 expression were analyzed alone, and additionally, the expression of MIB-1, BCL-2, VEGFR3, and CD31 were combined in pairs using the following groups: low/low, low/high, high/low, and high/high.
RESULTS - Low BCL-2 expression (hazard ratio [HR], 2. 16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1. 42-3. 31; P < . 001 compared with high BCL-2 in univariate analysis) and high MIB-1 expression (HR, 2. 05; 95% CI, 1. 32-3. 19; P = . 001 in multivariate analysis) were found to associate for poorer survival in RCC. In multivariate analysis, the combination of high MIB-1/low BCL-2 was associated with poor survival compared with low MIB-1/high BCL-2 (HR, 3. 20; 95% CI, 1. 66-6. 17; P = . 001), and the combination of low VEGFR3/high CD31 was associated with poor survival (HR, 2. 48; 95% CI, 1. 29-4. 78; P = . 007) compared with high VEGFR3/high CD31.
CONCLUSIONS - Compared with high BCL-2 expression in combination with low or high MIB-1, VEGFR3, or CD31 expression, low BCL-2 expression in combination with low or high MIB-1, VEGFR3, or CD31 expression has poorer survival in the long-term follow-up of patients with RCC. Analysis of MIB-1, BCL-2, VEGFR3, and CD31 expression might be a useful additional marker to tailor the follow-up of RCC patients.
Clinical genitourinary cancer. 2015 Dec 22 [Epub ahead of print]
Juha P Virman, Petri Bono, Tiina H Luukkaala, Kaisa L Sunela, Paula M Kujala, Pirkko-Liisa I Kellokumpu-Lehtinen
University of Tampere, School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland; Department of Anesthesia, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. Cancer Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. , Science Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District and School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland. , Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland. , Department of Pathology, Tampere University Hospital, Fimlab Laboratories, Tampere, Finland. , University of Tampere, School of Medicine, Tampere, Finland; Department of Oncology, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.