title: Downregulation of MAGI1 associates with poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  MAGI1 (membrane-associated guanylate kinase, WW and PDZ domain containing 1) plays an important role in stabilization of adherens junctions and suppression of invasiveness and metastasis. However, its expression and clinical revelance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unknown. So, this study was performed to detect the expression and clinical significance of MAGI1 in human HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mRNA and protein expression levels were examined by using reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) and Western blotting in 31 paired HCC and paracarcinomatous liver tissues (PCLT). Furthermore, samples of 104 HCC patients were determined immunohistochemically for MAGI1 expression and the correlation of MAGI1 levels with prognosis was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression levels of MAGI1 were significantly downregulated in HCCs than those in PCLTs (p < .01). Importantly, the decreased expression of MAGI1 correlated with multiple tumor nodules (p < .05), absence of capsular formation (p < .05), worse Edmondson-Steiner grade (p < .05), vein invasion (p < .01), shortened median overall survival time (25 versus 42 months; p = .013), and disease-free survival time (20 versus 40 months; p = .018) of HCC. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that MAGI1 expression level was an independent factor for prognosis (p = .038).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MAGI1 expression is decreased in HCC, which correlates with poor prognosis, suggesting MAGI1 as a novel prognostic marker for HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Gewen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001483:Base Sequence; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D051528:Guanylate Kinases; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015816:Cell Adhesion Molecules, Neuronal; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D051528:Guanylate Kinases; C113338:MAGI1 protein, human