title: Reduced expression of SRY-box containing gene 17 correlates with an unfavorable melanoma patient survival.
abstract: SRY-box containing gene 17 (Sox17), a transcription factor, is considered as an antagonist to canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling in several types of malignant tumors. As the influence of Sox17 in the pathogenesis of human melanoma is still unknown, the investigation of Sox17 expression in melanoma is warranted and its prognostic value is of great interest. In the present study, Sox17 expression was examined in 525 cases of melanocytic lesions (33 common acquired nevi, 59 dysplastic nevi, 291 primary melanomas and 142 metastatic melanomas) at different stages by tissue microarray. The correlation of Sox17 expression with melanoma progression and its prognostic value in melanoma patients were examined. We also analyzed the correlation between Sox17 and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27 expression in 374 melanoma samples. The results showed that Sox17 expression was significantly decreased in primary and metastatic melanoma compared to common acquired nevi and dysplastic nevi (P=2.4x10-17). Furthermore, Sox17 expression was inversely correlated with American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P=4.6x10-15), thickness (P=0.00004) and ulceration (P=0.03). Notably, reduced Sox17 expression was correlated with a poorer overall and disease-specific 5- and 10-year survival of the patients. Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that Sox17 is an independent prognostic marker for melanoma patients. Moreover, we found a significant positive correlation between Sox17 and p27 expression in melanoma biopsies; their concomitant expression was closely correlated with the survival of melanoma patients. Taken together, decreased Sox17 expression is correlated with melanoma progression, an unfavorable survival of melanoma patients and is an independent molecular prognostic factor for melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Guohong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Yabin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McElwee
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L8, Canada.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27 / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D046888:Tissue Array Analysis; D047368:Tumor Burden
chemical_list: C109188:SOX17 protein, human; D055760:SOXF Transcription Factors; D050760:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27