title: High NEK2 Expression Is a Predictor of Tumor Recurrence in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients After Hepatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Better prognosis of cancer including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory due to recurrence and chemoresistance. In this respect it is important to identify molecular targets specific to the disease in order to design effective therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we investigated the prognostic role of Never-in-mitosis-A-related kinase 2 (NEK2) in HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty HCC patients who underwent hepatectomy were enrolled in the study. NEK2 gene and protein expression was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher expression of NEK2 was detected in HCC tumoral compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues (p<0.001), and protein expression was also relatively high in tumor than corresponding non-tumor tissues. Furthermore, high NEK2 expression was positively correlated with hepatic venous invasion (p=0.047), des-gammacarboxy prothrombin (p=0.003), and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) (p=0.024). Patients with high NEK2 expression had significantly poor recurrence-free survival (p=0.042) and early recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, these results suggest that NEK2 could be a promising biomarker for HCC recurrence.
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Gizachew Yismaw
authors: GY
authors: Wubetu
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Yuji
authors: Y
authors: Morine
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Hiroki
authors: H
authors: Teraoku
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Masato
authors: M
authors: Yoshikawa
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Daichi
authors: D
authors: Ishikawa
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Shinichiro
authors: S
authors: Yamada
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Tetsuya
authors: T
authors: Ikemoto
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Y U
authors: YU
authors: Saito
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Imura
authors: Department of Surgery, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan mitsuo.shimada@tokushima-u.ac.jp.
authors: Mitsuo
authors: M
authors: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C089441:NEK2 protein, human; D000072379:NIMA-Related Kinases; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; NEK2; never-in-mitosis-A-related kinase 2; tumor recurrence