. 2015 Jun 5;10(6):e0129313.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129313. eCollection 2015.

Upregulated Polo-Like Kinase 1 Expression Correlates with Inferior Survival Outcomes in Rectal Cancer

T G Tut¹, S H S Lim², I U Dissanayake³, J Descallar⁴, W Chua⁵, W Ng⁵, P de Souza⁶, J-S Shin⁷, C S Lee⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
² Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
³ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁴ Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
⁵ Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁶ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁷ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁸ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.

PMID: 26047016
PMCID: PMC4457812
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129313

Upregulated Polo-Like Kinase 1 Expression Correlates with Inferior Survival Outcomes in Rectal Cancer

T G Tut et al. PLoS One. 2015.

. 2015 Jun 5;10(6):e0129313.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129313. eCollection 2015.

Authors

T G Tut¹, S H S Lim², I U Dissanayake³, J Descallar⁴, W Chua⁵, W Ng⁵, P de Souza⁶, J-S Shin⁷, C S Lee⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
² Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
³ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁴ Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
⁵ Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁶ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁷ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia.
⁸ School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; University of New South Wales, Kensington, New South Wales 2052, Australia; Department of Anatomical Pathology, Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool, New South Wales 2170, Australia; Bosch Institute, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales 2006, Australia.

PMID: 26047016
PMCID: PMC4457812
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129313

Abstract

Background: Human polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) expression has been associated with inferior outcomes in colorectal cancer. Our aims were to analyse PLK1 in rectal cancer, and its association with clinicopathological variables, overall survival as well as tumour regression to neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: PLK1 expression was quantified with immunohistochemistry in the centre and periphery (invasive front) of rectal cancers, as well as in the involved regional lymph nodes from 286 patients. Scores were based on staining intensity and percentage of positive cells, multiplied to give weighted scores from 1-12, dichotomised into low (0-5) or high (6-12).

Results: PLK1 scores in the tumour periphery were significantly different to adjacent normal mucosa. Survival analysis revealed that low PLK1 score in the tumour periphery had a hazard ratio of death of 0.59 in multivariate analysis. Other predictors of survival included age, tumour depth, metastatic status, vascular and perineural invasion and adjuvant chemotherapy. There was no statistically significant correlation between PLK1 score and histological tumour regression in the neoadjuvant cohort.

Conclusion: Low PLK1 score was an independent predictor of superior overall survival, adjusting for multiple clinicopathological variables including treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

**Fig 1. Polo-like kinase 1 immunohistochemical staining in rectal cancer cells in tissue microarrays in low power (a) and high power.**
High power images show scores of (b) weighted score of 0, (c) weighted score of 3, from 1 (percentage 5–25%) x 3 (strong intensity) and (d) weighted score of 4 (percentage >75%) x 3 (strong intensity), note the contrast with adjacent normal glands

**Fig 2. Histogram showing the distribution of the discrete tumour periphery (TP) PLK1 scores.**

**Fig 3. Kaplan Meier survival curve for tumour peripheral (TP) polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) weighted scores.**

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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Upregulated Polo-Like Kinase 1 Expression Correlates with Inferior Survival Outcomes in Rectal Cancer

Affiliations

Upregulated Polo-Like Kinase 1 Expression Correlates with Inferior Survival Outcomes in Rectal Cancer

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources

Miscellaneous