Cytoplasmic CK1ε Protein Expression Is Correlated With Distant Metastasis and Survival in Patients With Melanoma

摘要

Background/Aim: Casein kinase 1 epsilon (CK1{varepsilon}) is a member of the casein kinase 1 family, which includes highly conserved and ubiquitous serine/threonine protein kinases. Recent research has revealed that CK1{varepsilon} plays an important role in a variety of human cancer types; however, its role in human melanoma remains unclear. The aim of this study was to elucidate the clinical role of CK1{varepsilon} in patients with melanoma. Patients and Methods: Samples from 34 patients with melanoma were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue microarrays were also examined by two histopathologists to assess CK1{varepsilon} protein expression in humans. Results: Cytoplasmic CK1{varepsilon} protein expression was significantly lower in tumor tissue than in normal tissue. Lack of cytoplasmic CK1{varepsilon} protein was significantly correlated with distant metastasis (p=0.022) and poorer survival (p=0.030). However, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that elevated expression of cytoplasmic CK1{varepsilon} protein was not significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with melanoma. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that lack of cytoplasmic CK1{varepsilon} protein expression was related to distant metastasis (p0.001 and p=0.004), showing that CK1{varepsilon} was a prognostic factor. Conclusion: CK1{varepsilon} protein expression might serve as a prognostic indicator in the treatment of patients with melanoma.