Aurora-A/STK-15 is differentially expressed in the micropapillary variant of bladder cancer.
BACKGROUND
Micropapillary carcinoma (MPC) of the bladder is a rare and aggressive histologic variant of urothelial carcinoma (UC). At the time of presentation, most MPC are muscle invasive with frequent vascular invasion (VI). Our series explores protein expression of markers known to be indicators of poor clinical outcome and progression, trying to explain aggressiveness of MPC.


METHODS
18 patients with MPC were reviewed. We explored protein expression of p53, MIB-1, Aurora-A and survivin in MPC and compared their expression to conventional urothelial carcinoma (CUC) of the same grade and stage.


RESULTS
Patients, aged 46-85 years, underwent transurethral resection or cystoprostatectomy for UC. MPC was either pure (39%) or only partially present (61%). 55% of the patients died. VI was seen in 95%. MPC displayed overexpression of p53 and MIB-1, Aurora-A and survivin. No statistically significant difference could be made with CUC except for Aurora-A (p = 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first study to explore different markers of bad clinical outcome in MPC. We suggest that Aurora-A via mechanisms implied into early steps of mitosis might play a role in aggressive clinical behavior of MPC.
Compérat
Eva
E
Service d'Anatomie et Cytologie Pathologique, Hôpital La Pitié Salpêtrière, Paris, France. ecomperat@yahoo.fr
Roupret
Morgan
M
Conort
Pierre
P
Chartier-Kastler
Emmanuel
E
Bitker
Marc-Olivier
MO
Richard
François
F
Capron
Fréderique
F
Haertig
Alain
A
Cussenot
Olivier
O
Camparo
Philippe
P
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008297:Male; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010297:Paris; D011379:Prognosis; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000077022:Survivin; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000032:analysis; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000032:analysis; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D019459:Urothelium / Q000201:enzymology
C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; C495901:TP53 protein, human; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; C513496:MIB1 ligase, human; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases; D064127:Aurora Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases