AKIP1 expression in tumor tissue as a new biomarker for disease monitoring and prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer: Results of a retrospective study

Background: A-kinase-interacting protein 1 (AKIP1) has been reported as an oncogenetic factor in multiple cancers; however, no study has reported its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) yet. This study aimed to evaluate the expression of AKIP1, and its correlation with tumor characteristics as well as prognosis in patients with NSCLC.

Methods: Four hundred and ninety patients with NSCLC who underwent resection were reviewed, and baseline clinical data were collected. AKIP1 expression in tumor tissue/paired adjacent tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry. Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated.

Results: A-kinase-interacting protein 1 expression was elevated in tumor tissue compared with paired adjacent tissue (P < .001), and high AKIP1 tumor tissue expression was correlated with poor pathological differentiation (P < .001), tumor size >5 cm (P = .001), lymph node metastasis (P = .016), higher TNM stages (P < .001), and abnormal CEA level (>5 ng/mL) (P = .035). DFS was worse in patients with tumor tissue AKIP1 high expression compared with patients who had AKIP1 low expression in total patients (P < .001), TNM stage I (P < .001) and TNM stage III (P < .001) patients. And the OS was also decreased in patients with AKIP1 high expression in total patients (P < .001), TNM stage I patients (P = .001) and TNM stage III patients (P = .004). Moreover, multivariate Cox's proportional hazards regression model analysis revealed that AKIP1 high expression was an independent predictive factor for worse DFS (P < .001) and OS (P < .001).

Conclusion: Tumor tissue AKIP1 expression may have the potential to be a biomarker assisting in disease monitoring and prognosis in NSCLC.