title: Glucose-regulated protein 78 expression in urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78; a major molecular chaperone at the endoplasmic reticulum, strongly expressed in several tumours) expression in urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the upper urinary tract (UUT) and to evaluate the diagnostic and progressive importance of GRP78 expression in UC-UUT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated GRP78 expression (using immunohistochemistry) in 126 UC-UUTs to assess its relevance to progression. GRP78 overexpression was recognised in 23 (18.3%) of tumour samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no association between GRP78 overexpression and clinicopathological findings, except for an association with low grade in invasive tumours. GRP78 overexpression significantly improved the disease-free survival rate in all patients (according to univariate and multivariate analyses), but did not alter the overall survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The detection of GRP78 overexpression would appear to provide valuable information for the prognosis of UC-UUT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, National Defense Medical College, National Defense Medical College Hospital, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uematsu
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogata
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: Sadayuki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiroi
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: Shinsuke
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aida
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D005260:Female; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; C000717247:HSPA5 protein, human; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins