title: Significant correlation of peptidyl-prolyl isomerase overexpression in Merkel cell carcinoma with overall survival of patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An overexpression of PIN1, the peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, might cause cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition by binding to the p53 protein, a process leading to p53 stabilization. The rationale of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the expression pattern of PIN1 in Merkel cell carcinomas (MCCs) and its suitability as a prognostic factor.
  
  
  METHODS
  Samples of 27 MCCs were immunhistochemically stained for PIN1 expression and correlated with overall and disease-free survival of patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All samples expressed PIN1. We showed a significantly better overall survival in patients with an overexpression of PIN1 than in patients with a weak PIN1 expression (p = .031), but expression was not significant for disease-free survival (p = .821). The 5-year overall survival rate was 14.4% in patients with weak and 50.9% in patients with overexpression of PIN1.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PIN1 seems to be a prognostic factor for a better overall survival rate of patients with MCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lill
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pammer
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Loewe
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gedlicka
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Houben
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heiduschka
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunner
authors.forename: Dietmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Thurnher
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072340:NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase / Q000378:metabolism*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000072340:NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase; C000606846:PIN1 protein, human; D019696:Peptidylprolyl Isomerase