Perimembrane Aurora-A expression is a significant prognostic factor in correlation with proliferative activity in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
OBJECTIVE
Aurora-A, also known as STK15/BTAK, is a member of the protein serine/threonine kinase family, and experimental studies have revealed that Aurora-A plays critical roles in cell mitosis and in carcinogenesis. However, no clinical studies on Aurora-A expression in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have been reported. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the clinical significance of Aurora-A status.


METHODS
A total of 189 consecutive patients with resected pathologic (p-)stage I-IIIA, NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed, and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect Aurora-A expression.


RESULTS
Aurora-A expression was negative in 31 patients (16.4%); among Aurora-A positive patients, 124 patients showed pure diffuse cytoplasmic Aurora-A expression and the other 34 patients showed perimembrane Aurora-A expression. Perimembrane Aurora-A tumors showed the highest proliferative index (PI) (mean PIs for negative, diffuse cytoplasmic, and perimembrane tumors: 49.2, 41.7, and 63.5, respectively; P < .001). Five-year survival rates of Aurora-A negative, diffuse cytoplasmic, and perimembrane patients were 67.8%, 66.7%, and 47.6%, respectively, showing the poorest postoperative survival in perimembrane patients (P = .033). Subset analyses revealed that perimembrane Aurora-A expression was a significant factor to predict a poor prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma patients, not in adenocarcinoma patients. A multivariate analysis confirmed that perimembrane Aurora-A expression was an independent and significant factor to predict a poor prognosis.


CONCLUSIONS
Perimembrane Aurora-A status was a significant factor to predict a poor prognosis in correlation with enhanced proliferative activity in NSCLC.
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. ogawae@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp
Eiji
E
Ogawa
Kazumasa
K
Takenaka
Hiromichi
H
Katakura
Masashi
M
Adachi
Yosuke
Y
Otake
Yoshinobu
Y
Toda
Hirokazu
H
Kotani
Toshiaki
T
Manabe
Hiromi
H
Wada
Fumihiro
F
Tanaka
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D000368:Aged; D064096:Aurora Kinase A; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
C576917:AURKA protein, human; D064096:Aurora Kinase A; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases