title: ZFX is a Strong Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Renal Cell Carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was designed to assay the expression of zinc finger protein X-linked (ZFX) in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues and evaluate the correlation between ZFX expression and prognosis of RCC patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The expressions of ZFX mRNA in 53 RCC tissues and 51 normal tissues were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) technology was used to measure the expression of ZFX protein. Then chi-square test was conducted to verify the association between ZFX expression and clinical parameters. Next, we explored the overall survival rate of RCC patients with Kaplan-Meier analysis. Finally, the correlation between ZFX expression and the prognosis of RCC patients was evaluated by Cox regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The qRT-PCR result showed that the ZFX was significantly up-regulated in RCC tissues. As for the IHC consequence, the positive rate of ZFX expression in RCC specimens was 79.2%, while that in the normal control tissues was only 17.6%. Chi-square test showed that ZFX expression shared no close relationship with age, sex, or smoking (P>0.05), but was tightly associated with TNM stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with ZFX positive expression had higher mortality than those with negative expression (P<0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that ZFX expression had tight correlation with prognosis of RCC patients (HR=4.997, P=0.045, 95%CI=1.033-24.180).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings show that ZFX could be considered as a predictor for prognosis of RCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Changying
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Medicine, Hebei United University, Tangshan, Hebei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Fuling
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Zhifang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sui
authors.affiliation: Tianjin Institute of Urology, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Jiwu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000401:mortality; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016335:Zinc Fingers
chemical_list: D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; C062076:zinc finger protein, X-linked