Increased expression of neuropilin 1 in melanoma progression and its prognostic significance in patients with melanoma

Lu,Jing; Cheng,Yabin; Zhang,Guohong; Tang,Yun; Dong,Ziming; McElwee,Kevin J.; Li,Gang

doi:10.3892/mmr.2015.3752

Increased expression of neuropilin 1 in melanoma progression and its prognostic significance in patients with melanoma

Authors:
- Jing Lu
- Yabin Cheng
- Guohong Zhang
- Yun Tang
- Ziming Dong
- Kevin J. McElwee
- Gang Li
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Affiliations: Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, Research Pavilion, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z IL8, Canada, Department of Pathophysiology, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan 450001, P.R. China
Published online on: May 7, 2015 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2015.3752
Pages: 2668-2676
Copyright: © Lu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

Neuropilin 1 (NRP1), a receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), promotes angiogenesis, tumor growth, tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the function of NRP1 in melanoma progression, as well as the effect of NRP1 expression on the prognosis of patients with melanoma remains unknown. In the present study, NRP1 expression was examined in 460 cases of melanocytic lesions (28 common nevi, 51 dysplastic nevi, 250 primary melanoma and 131 metastatic melanoma) at different stages, using a tissue microarray. The correlation of NRP1 expression with melanoma progression, and its prognostic value in patients with melanoma was examined. In addition, the correlation between matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and NRP1 expression in patients with melanoma was analyzed. The results demonstrated that NRP1 expression was significantly increased in primary (56%) and metastatic melanoma (62%), compared with common nevi (11%) and dysplastic nevi (24%). Notably, increased NRP1 expression was correlated with a poorer overall, and disease‑specific, 10‑year survival (P=0.03 and P=0.002, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analyses indicated that NRP1 is an independent prognostic marker for melanoma. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation between NRP1 and MMP2 expression in melanoma biopsies was observed, and their concomitant expression was closely correlated with melanoma patient survival, further supporting the hypothesis that the expression of NRP1 is associated with melanoma invasion and metastasis. In conclusion, increased NRP1 expression is associated with disease progression and reduced survival in patients with melanoma, and is a promising prognostic molecular marker for this disease.

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