KIF2A overexpression and its association with clinicopathologic characteristics and unfavorable prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Kinesin superfamily protein 2A (KIF2A), an M type nonmotile microtubule depolymerase, has received attention for its role in carcinogenesis and prognostic value in several types of cancer. In this study, we evaluated the expression of KIF2A and its potential and robustness to predict clinical outcomes in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of KIF2A was determined in 20 pairs of cancerous and adjacent nontumor tissues by real-time polymerase chain reaction. KIF2A immunohistochemistry was performed on tissue microarray (TMA), composed of 182 CRC and 179 matched adjacent nontumor tissues from surgery, 23 chronic colitis, 43 low-grade, and 18 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias acquired through intestinal endoscopic biopsy. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to perform survival analyses. Both KIF2A mRNA and protein product exhibited CRC tissue-preferred expression, when compared with benign tissues. The high KIF2A expression was significantly correlated to TNM stage (P = 0.046) and tumor status (T) (P = 0.007). In univariate and multivariate analyses, high KIF2A expression showed a major prognostic value regarding 5-year survival. The influences of KIF2A expression on the survival were further proven by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. This study demonstrated CRC tissue-preferred expression pattern of the KIF2A and suggested that high KIF2A expression might serve as an independent maker for poor prognosis in CRC patients.