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Is survivin expression prognostic or predictive in malignant pleural mesothelioma?

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Abstract

Malignant pleural mesothelioma is an incurable cancer strongly associated with asbestos exposure and characterised by poor response to treatment. The inhibitor-of-apoptosis protein family member survivin is involved in apoptosis and proliferation and is expressed in cancer cells only. The aims of the present study were to elucidate whether survivin expression is associated with tumour cell apoptosis and proliferation and to assess the prognostic and predictive value of survivin expression in malignant pleural mesothelioma. Archival pleural mesothelioma tissue samples from 101 patients were immunohistochemically analysed for nuclear expression of survivin, for proliferation with the use of Ki-67 as marker and for apoptosis using active caspase-3 as a marker. Staining results and clinical data were included in a survival analysis. Survivin was highly expressed in tumour cell nuclei in all samples and this correlated positively with both apoptosis and proliferation, but did not have a significant prognostic value. We found significantly higher survivin expression in patients who responded to chemotherapy compared to patients with progressive disease. Survivin expression might contribute to treatment response prediction, but survivin expression in malignant pleural mesothelioma did not have prognostic significance.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Ms. Nada Godnič for immunohistochemical staining of the slides and the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) for funding the present study (grant nos. P3-0003, P1-0170 and L3-0449).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no actual or potential conflict of interest in relation to the present paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, 6310, Izola, Slovenia

    Julija Hmeljak, Maja Čemažar & Andrej Cör

  2. Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Nina Erčulj, Vita Dolžan & Jože Pižem

  3. University Clinic of Allergic and Pulmonary Diseases Golnik, Golnik 36, 4204, Golnik, Slovenia

    Izidor Kern

  4. Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloška c. 2, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Viljem Kovač & Maja Čemažar

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  1. Julija Hmeljak
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Correspondence to Julija Hmeljak.

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Hmeljak, J., Erčulj, N., Dolžan, V. et al. Is survivin expression prognostic or predictive in malignant pleural mesothelioma?. Virchows Arch 462, 315–321 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1373-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00428-013-1373-9

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