title: Prognostic significance of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers e-cadherin, vimentin and twist in bladder cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to utilize long-term patient follow-up to determine whether epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers can predict bladder cancer patient survival and progression of disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 121 patients with bladder cancer. Sixty-four of these patients presented with non-muscle invasive (NMI, stage T1) bladder cancer and 57 with muscle invasive (MI, stage T2, T3). The patients were diagnosed and treated between May 1998 and July 2012. The EMT markers E-cadherin, Twist, and Vimentin were detected via immunohistochemistry. Univariate and multivariate/Cox analyses were then utilized to determine whether these EMT markers could be useful prognostic markers for predicting bladder cancer patient outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of the 121 bladder cancer patients in this study revealed that the frequency of E-cadherin expression was 59.5% (72/121), Twist was 54.5% (66/121), and Vimentin was 24.8% (30/121). Twist and Vimentin were found to have statistically significant correlations with grade, recurrence, and progression but not with stage, whereas E-cadherin was associated with stage but not with the other parameters. In the univariate analysis, grade (p = 0.02) was the only significant predictor for progression-free survival (PFS). Stage, grade, and expression of E-cadherin, Vimentin and Twist were included in the multivariate analysis of predicting PFS. In this analysis, grade (p = 0.01) and Vimentin expression (p = 0.001) were found to be significant prognostic factors in predicting PFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grade and Vimentin are potential independent indicators in predicting bladder cancer progression and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital of the Medical School of Xi-an Jiaotong University, Xi-an, Shanxi 710061, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital of the Medical School, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Dahai
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Hospital of the Medical School, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital of the Medical School, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guiming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital of the Medical School, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266011, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Lijiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D015820:Cadherins / Q000032:analysis*; D018450:Disease Progression; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012016:Reference Values; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1 / Q000032:analysis*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D014746:Vimentin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D015820:Cadherins; D051879:Twist-Related Protein 1; D014746:Vimentin