title: Protein abundance of class III beta-tubulin but not Delta2-alpha-tubulin or tau is related to paclitaxel response in carcinomas of unknown primary site.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prognostic value of microtubule component expression in tumors of patients with carcinomas of unknown primary site (CUP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Class III beta-tubulin, Delta2-alpha-tubulin and tau protein were examined immunohistochemically in 51 CUP tumors from patients receiving paclitaxel and compared with their response to treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 18.4% among 49 evaluable patients. Delta2-alpha-Tubulin and tau were not correlated with response or patient outcome. High class III beta-tubulin expression was correlated with both resistance to chemotherapy and shorter overall survival, while there was no relation with progression-free survival. In multivariate analysis taking into account clinical factors, class III beta-tubulin expression was independently correlated with overall survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings show that in tumor cells a high level of expression of class III beta-tubulin, but not Delta2-alpha-tubulin or tau, is associated with resistance to paclitaxel and a poor prognosis in CUP patients receiving paclitaxel.
authors.affiliation: Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, INSERM U 590, Lyon, France. pascal.seve@chu-lyon.fr
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sève
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reiman
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Isaac
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Trillet-Lenoir
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lafanéchère
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dumontet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016190:Carboplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009382:Neoplasms, Unknown Primary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D016875:tau Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C054369:MAPT protein, human; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D014404:Tubulin; D016875:tau Proteins; D016190:Carboplatin; D017239:Paclitaxel