Yi-Chen Lee1, Wen-Jeng Wu2, Hui-Hui Lin3, Wei-Ming Li4, Chun-Nung Huang3, Wei-Chi Hsu3, Lin-Li Chang5, Ching-Chia Li2, Hsin-Chih Yeh2, Chien-Feng Li6, Hung-Lung Ke7. 1. Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 2. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 3. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 4. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Ministry of Health and Welfare Pingtung Hospital, Pingtung, Taiwan. 5. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. 6. Department of Pathology, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan; National Cancer Research Institute, National Health Research Institutes, Tainan, Taiwan. 7. Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Department of Urology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Electronic address: hunglungke@gmail.com.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Leptin and its receptor (LEPR) are key players in the regulation of energy balance and body weight control and act as a growth factor for specific organs in both normal and disease states. However, LEPR accumulation may be involved in carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis in many cancers. This study evaluated the clinical significance of LEPR expression in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: LEPR expression was examined in 110 tissue samples from patients with UTUC, using immunohistochemistry, and an analysis was performed to identify evidence of association between LEPR expression and different clinicopathologic variables. RESULTS: LEPR expression was significantly correlated with patients with increased body mass index (P < .001) and high serum creatinine levels (P = .005). We found, using the log-rank test, that high LEPR expression was associated with poor recurrence-free (P = .009) and cancer-specific survival (P = .001). This finding was supported by our results using Cox regression analysis, which showed that LEPR expression was an independent predictor of poor recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.55; P = .011) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio = 2.26; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that LEPR expression is a potential biomarker for predicting patient survival in UTUC. Further study is necessary to investigate the role of LEPR in carcinogenesis of UTUC.
OBJECTIVES: Leptin and its receptor (LEPR) are key players in the regulation of energy balance and body weight control and act as a growth factor for specific organs in both normal and disease states. However, LEPR accumulation may be involved in carcinogenesis, progression, and metastasis in many cancers. This study evaluated the clinical significance of LEPR expression in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: LEPR expression was examined in 110 tissue samples from patients with UTUC, using immunohistochemistry, and an analysis was performed to identify evidence of association between LEPR expression and different clinicopathologic variables. RESULTS: LEPR expression was significantly correlated with patients with increased body mass index (P < .001) and high serum creatinine levels (P = .005). We found, using the log-rank test, that high LEPR expression was associated with poor recurrence-free (P = .009) and cancer-specific survival (P = .001). This finding was supported by our results using Cox regression analysis, which showed that LEPR expression was an independent predictor of poor recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.55; P = .011) and cancer-specific survival (hazard ratio = 2.26; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that LEPR expression is a potential biomarker for predicting patient survival in UTUC. Further study is necessary to investigate the role of LEPR in carcinogenesis of UTUC.