title: Expression and prognostic significance of p21-activated kinase 6 in hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  p21-activated protein kinase (PAK) 6 is a serine-threonine kinase belonging to the PAK family. Previous studies have indicated that abnormal expressions of PAK1, PAK2, and PAK5 played critical roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recent studies suggested that deregulation of PAK6 expression played an important role in oncogenesis. To explore the potential roles of PAK6 in HCC, expression of PAK6 was detected in human HCC specimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed for PAK6 in 121 HCC samples. The data were correlated with clinicopathologic features. The univariate and multivariate survival analyses were also performed to determine their clinical prognostic significance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PAK6 was overexpressed in HCC as compared with the adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. High expression of PAK6 was associated with Edmondson-Steiner grade (P = 0.006) and number of tumor nodules (P < 0.001), and PAK6 was positively correlated with proliferation marker Ki-67 (P < 0.01). Univariate analysis suggested that PAK6 expression was associated with poor prognosis (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis indicated that PAK6 and Ki-67 protein expressions were independent prognostic markers for HCC (P = 0.0245 and 0.0331, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that PAK6 overexpression is involved in the pathogenesis of HCC; it may be an independent poor prognostic factor for HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China. Electronic address: hongweichen0306@outlook.com.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, The Fourth People's Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou, China.
authors.forename: Jinlin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Hongchen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Chunhua
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Junliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Jianxin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory, The First Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China.
authors.forename: Hongying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C429007:PAK6 protein, human; D054462:p21-Activated Kinases
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; Ki-67; PAK6; Proliferation