Volume 29, Issue 4, 2020
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.884
Low Expression of Fragile-Site Associated Tumor Suppressor Is Associated with Prognosis in Patients with Bladder Cancer
Abstract
Fragile-site associated tumor suppressor (FATS) may be closely related to the occurrence and development of human tumors. However, the expression of FATS in bladder tumors has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of FATS in tumor tissues and determine its correlation with tumor characteristics and prognosis in patients with bladder cancer. The expression of FATS protein and FATS mRNA in bladder cancer tissues and adjacent tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blotting and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). Both IHC and Western blotting showed that the positive expression rate of FATS protein in bladder cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues [(44.94% (71/158) vs. 91.01% (81/89), P < 0.05; (43.67% vs. 89.89%), P < 0.05, respectively]. RT-PCR revealed that the positive rate of FATS mRNA in bladder cancer tissues was 41.14% (65/158), which was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues 87.64% (78/89). Low FATS protein expression was related to gender, tumor diameter, tumor grade, lymph node metastasis, and tumor stage in patients with bladder cancer. Patients with lower FATS protein expression in bladder cancer tissues had a significantly shorter disease‑free survival (DFS) rate and overall survival (OS) rate than patients with higher FATS levels. Lower FATS protein expression was an independent risk factor for DFS and OS in bladder cancer patients. In summary, low FATS protein expression was closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. These findings may contribute to novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies for patients with bladder cancer.
Keywords
fragile-site associated tumor suppressor (FATS), bladder cancer, prognosis, diagnostic strategies