Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein Expression and Prognostic Value in Soft Tissue Sarcomas

• Main Author: Martinho, Olga
• Publication Date: 2016
• Other Authors: Campos, Marcelo [UNESP], Ribeiro, Guilherme, Penna, Valter, Curcelli, Emílio C. [UNESP], Olivieri, Marcus V., Morini, Sandra, Scapulatempo, Cristovam, Abrahaõ-Machado, Lucas F., Reis, Rui M.
• Format: Article
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Download full: http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000441227; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/172516
• topic: Prognosis; Raf kinase inhibitor protein; Sarcomas

Objective: Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are heterogeneous tumors displaying multiple and complex molecular abnormalities with no specific pattern. Despite current therapeutic advances, the patients with STS still have a poor outcome, which makes it necessary to find out new prognostic markers. The Raf kinase inhibitory protein (RKIP) has been associated with prognosis in several human neoplasms; however, its role in STS is unknown. Methods: In the present study RKIP expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in a series of 87 STSs, and its expression profile was associated with the patients' pathological parameters. Results: We found that RKIP is expressed in the cytoplasm of the great majority of cases, and absent in only approximately 18% of cases (16/87). Importantly, we observed that loss of RKIP expression was associated with poor outcome, constituting an independent prognostic marker. Conclusion: This is the first study assessing RKIP expression levels in STS. We showed that loss of RKIP expression is present in a small subset of cases; however, its absence was associated with poor survival and may be a potential marker for STS prognosis.