title: Expression of β-tubulin isotypes in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our study aims to investigate the expressions of β-tubulin isotypes and their significances in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB) as altered expression of a specific β-tubulin isotype is associated with chemoresistance and poor prognosis in other malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of β-tubulin isotypes was retrospectively examined in 342 UCB samples obtained from 1995 to 2010 by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TUBB1 (307/342, 89.8 %) was most frequently overexpressed in the cytoplasm of UCB cases, followed by TUBB4 (101/342, 29.5 %), TUBB2 (85/342, 24.9 %), and TUBB3 (60/342, 17.5 %). TUBB1 overexpression was associated with older age (p = 0.032), high WHO grade (p = 0.001), and advanced TNM stage (p = 0.006). High levels of TUBB2 expression were associated with high WHO grade (p < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (p < 0.001), and non-papillary growth pattern (p = 0.007). TUBB3 overexpression was related to high WHO grade (p = 0.029). In univariate and multivariate survival analyses, TUBB1 overexpression was associated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates of all cases (hazard ratio 1.98, p = 0.031) and of the patients with transurethral and/or partial resection (hazard ratio 2.12, p = 0.031). TUBB2 overexpression was correlated with a short RFS of the patients with T2-T4 stages (hazard ratio 3.48, p = 0.007). TUBB3 overexpression was related to a poor RFS of the patients undergoing radical cystectomy (hazard ratio 5.90, p = 0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High TUBB1, TUBB2, and TUBB3 expressions are associated with unfavorable clinicopathologic factors and are independent prognostic factors for recurrence-free survival of UCB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Korea University Ansan Hospital, 516, Gojan-1 Dong, Danwon-Gu, Ansan-Si, Gyeonggi-Do, 425-707, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Woo
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Younghye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ju-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014404:Tubulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C578986:TUBB1 protein, human; C498585:TUBB3 protein, human; D014404:Tubulin