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EZH2, Ki-67 and MCM7 are prognostic markers in prostatectomy treated patients.

Laitinen S, Martikainen PM, Tolonen T, Isola J, Tammela TL, Visakorpi T

Institute of Medical Technology, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the prognostic value of Ki-67, EZH2, MCM7 and EIF3S3 in prostatectomy treated patients. A retrospective population-based material of 249 radical prostatectomy specimens on tissue microarrays was utilized. The median follow-up of the patients was approximately 5.5 years and the main end-point was biochemical progression. The expression of Ki-67, EZH2 and MCM7 was determined by immunohistochemistry and the gene copy number of EIF3S3 was analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). In the whole material, increased immunostainings of EZH2, MCM7 and Ki-67 were significantly associated with a high Gleason score and a short progression-free survival. In multivariate analysis, MCM7 and Ki-67 showed independent prognostic value with relative risks (RR) of 2.65 (95%-confidence interval of 1.22-5.70), and 1.85 (1.14-3.01), respectively. In subgroup analysis of patients, whose treatment was evaluated to be truly radical (n = 226), EZH2 (3.14, 1.38-7.16), MCM7 (2.70, 1.16-6.30) and PSA (1.5, 1.03-2.20) showed independent prognostic value. In subgroup analysis of cases with a Gleason score <7, low Ki-67 staining was associated with favorable prognosis with RR of 0.09 (0.01-0.69). In conclusion, Ki-67, EZH2 and MCM7 are potential prognostic biomarkers in prostatectomy treated patients.

Published 6 December 2007 in Int J Cancer, 122(3): 595-602.
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