Upregulated keratin 15 links to the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion, stromal cervical invasion as well as unfavorable survival profile in endometrial cancer patients

Abstract

Keratin 15 (KRT15) overexpression links with tumor initiation, metastasis, and poor survival in several solid carcinomas. While its clinical relevance is scarcely reported in endometrial cancer (EC). Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate the abnormal expression of KRT15 and its correlation with clinical characteristics, survival in EC patients. Totally, 135 surgical EC patients were enrolled. KRT15 protein expression in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tumor and adjuvant tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining; meanwhile, KRT15 mRNA expression in fresh-frozen tumor and adjacent tissues was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. KRT15 protein and mRNA expressions were higher in tumor tissue compared with adjacent tissue (both P < .001). Elevated KRT15 protein expression was correlated with the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion (P = .010) and more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = .018); meanwhile, elevated KRT15 mRNA expression was linked with more advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage (P = .038) and marginally associated with the occurrence of stromal cervical invasion (P = .052). Besides, KRT15 protein and mRNA expressions were not correlated with other clinical features (all P > .05). KRT15 protein high was marginally correlated with poor accumulating disease-free survival (DFS) (P = .091) and overall survival (OS) (P = .059); meanwhile, the correlation of KRT15 mRNA expression with accumulating DFS (P = .212) and OS (P = .092) was even weaker. However, multivariate Cox’s regressions showed that tumor KRT15 protein (high vs low) was independently correlated with poor DFS (P = .045) and OS (P = .043). KRT15 is abnormally increased in EC tissue, meanwhile, its upregulation links to the occurrence of lymphovascular invasion, stromal cervical invasion, and poor prognosis in EC patients.

Clinical Implication of Keratin-15 Quantification for Renal Cell Carcinoma Management: Its Dysregulation and Association with Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognostication

“…Importantly, KRT15 is related to poor survival profile in patients with esophageal, colorectal, and endometrial carcinoma according to previous research (Lin et al 2020;Rao et al 2020;Yang et al 2022). In line with these studies, the current study disclosed that KRT15 was linked to shorter DFS and OS in RCC patients, which was confirmed by the multivariate regression analysis.…”

“…KRT15 is dysregulated in patients with various cancers, including urinary tract carcinomas (Tai et al 2013;Lin et al 2020;Rao et al 2020;Zhong et al 2021;Yang et al 2022). A previous study reveals that KRT15 is upregulated in a subset of invasive ureteric cancers and urinary bladder cancers (Tai et al 2013).…”

“…Regarding the correlation of KRT15 with tumor characteristics, several studies have explored this aspect in some cancers, such as colorectal, breast, and endometrial cancer (Rao et al 2020;Zhong et al 2021;Yang et al 2022). For example, the KRT15 protein is related to the presence of lymphovascular invasion and higher International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, while KRT15 mRNA is only correlated with unfavorable FIGO stage in endometrial cancer patients (Yang et al 2022). Meanwhile, KRT15 is also correlated with the advanced T stage and TNM stage, as well as the existence of lymph node metastasis in esophageal carcinoma patients (Lin et al 2020).…”

Endometrial Carcinoma: A Comprehensive Analysis of Clinical Parameters, Treatment Modalities, and Prognostic Outcomes at a Tertiary Oncology Center in the UAE

“…This suggests that the depth of tumor invasion into the myometrium is a crucial determinant of prognosis. Furthermore, the involvement of the lower uterine segment has been associated with poorer outcomes in endometrial cancer patients, emphasizing the importance of tumor location in prognostication [15].…”

Silencing of keratin 15 impairs viability and mobility while facilitating the doxorubicin chemosensitivity by inactivating the β‑catenin pathway in liver cancer

“…In the clinical field, KRT15 exhibits diagnostic value and prognostic value in gastric, colorectal, endometrial, and breast invasive cancer (13,14,19,20). Regarding its application in patients with liver cancer, one previous bioinformatic study reported that KRT15 is an upregulated gene in patients with liver cancer with viral infection compared with controls (19).…”