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. 2015 Nov 1;8(11):15467-73.
eCollection 2015.

Clinical significance and prognostic value of Nek2 protein expression in colon cancer

Lei Lu  1 , Xiaofeng Zhai  1 , Ronghua Yuan  1
Affiliations

Clinical significance and prognostic value of Nek2 protein expression in colon cancer

Lei Lu et al. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. .

Abstract

Objective: To determine the expression of NIMA-related kinase NEK2 and evaluate its clinical value in colon cancer.

Method: Sixty specimens of colon cancer, 30 specimens of paracancerous colon tissues and 10 specimens of normal colon tissues conventionally resected in surgery at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from February 2006 to February 2014 were collected. These tissues were detected for the expression of Nek2 using Western Blot and immunohistochemical staining. The relationship between Nek2 protein expression and the clinicopathology and prognosis of colon tissues was discussed.

Results: The expression level and positive expression rate of Nek2 protein in the colon cancer were obviously higher than that in the paracancerous tissues and normal colon tissues. They were also significantly higher in the paracancerous tissues than in the normal tissues (P<0.05). Statistical analysis revealed that Nek2 protein expression was not obviously correlated with gender, age and tumor size, but obviously correlated with degree of differentiation (P=0.008), TNM staging (P=0.000), lymph node metastasis (P=0.022) and tumor invasion (P=0.011). With the plotting of Kaplan-Meier survival curve, it could be seen that Nek2 protein expression was not significantly correlated with survival (P=0.0048). High Nek2 protein expression may be an independent risk factor for colon cancer (HR=0.227, 95% CI 0.101-0.510).

Conclusion: High Nek2 protein expression reflects the malignant behavior of colon cancer. Playing important roles in the occurrence of colon cancer, Nek2 protein expression has diagnostic and prognostic value in colon cancer.

Keywords: Colon cancer; Nek2; expression; prognosis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Expression of Nek2 in colon cancer tissues, para-carcinoma tissue and normal colon tissues detected by Western blot. A. Expression of Nek2 protein level in different tissues (CT Colon cancer tissues, PT Para-carcinoma tissues, NT Normal colon tissues). B. A graphical representation of the Nek2 protein level expression profiles in (b) *P<0.05 **P<0.005.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Expression of Nek2 in colon cancer tissues, para-carcinoma tissue and normal colon tissues detected by IHC (DAB × 400). A. Normal colon tissues. B. Para-carcinoma tissues. C and D. Colon cancer tissues.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Kaplan-Meier survival curves for colon cancer patients with high or low expression of Nek2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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