AP-2α gene deregulation is associated with renal cell carcinoma patient survival

Abstract

BackgroundRenal cell carcinoma (RCC), one of the most fatal urologic tumors, accounts for approximately 3% of all adult cancers and exhibits a high metastatic index at diagnosis and a high rate of relapse. Radical or partial nephrectomy is a curative option for nonmetastatic RCCs. Targeted therapy has been shown to improve the survival of patients with metastatic RCCs. However, the underlying cellular and molecular events associated with RCC pathogenesis are not well known.MethodsTo investigate the clinical role of the transcription factor activator protein (AP)-2 alpha in RCC, methylated CpG island recovery assays and microarray analysis were employed. COBRA and RT-qPCR assays were performed to assess AP-2 alpha expression in RCC.ResultsA negative correlation was noted between AP-2 alpha mRNA expression levels and methylation status. Multivariate analyses showed that AP-2 alpha mRNA was a major risk factor not only for overall and disease-free survival in RCC but also for disease-free survival in clear cell RCC.ConclusionsOur results indicated that AP-2 alpha expression was deregulated in RCC and associated with overall patient survival and disease-free survival. Such findings suggest that AP-2 alpha might play an important role in the pathogenesis of RCC.