High expression of MAGE-C1 gene in colorectal cancer is associated with its poor prognosis

Yu Tian; Ping Liang; Lihua Zhang; Xiufen Zhang; Xiaoli Wang; Yufen Jin; Xiaowei Qi; Yankui Liu

doi:10.21037/jgo-21-739

High expression of MAGE-C1 gene in colorectal cancer is associated with its poor prognosis

J Gastrointest Oncol. 2021 Dec;12(6):2872-2881. doi: 10.21037/jgo-21-739.

Authors

Yu Tian¹, Ping Liang², Lihua Zhang³, Xiufen Zhang⁴, Xiaoli Wang¹, Yufen Jin², Xiaowei Qi¹, Yankui Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
² Wuxi Medical College, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.
³ Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
⁴ Wuxi Cancer Institute, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between melanoma antigen gene C1 (MAGE-C1) expression and the prognosis for colorectal cancer (CRC), and to establish a mathematical model to comprehensively evaluate the prognosis of patients with CRC.

Methods: MAGE-C1 was selected by bioinformatics for its greater expression differences in CRC patients. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression level of MAGE-C1 in tissue samples of 156 patients with CRC. Kaplan-Meier analysis was employed to assess the relationship between MAGE-C1 and the prognosis of patients with CRC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models analyzed the factors affecting the prognosis of CRC patients. Also, the clinicopathological characteristics of patients and genes with clinical concern were integrated to establish a model to comprehensively predict the prognosis of patients with CRC.

Results: MAGE-C1 was found to be highly expressed in 28.8% of CRC patients. MAGE-C1 expression was associated with tumor size, number, and metastasis. Survival analysis showed that CRC patients with high expression of MAGE-C1 had a poor prognosis. Regression analysis demonstrated that MAGE-C1 protein status, T stage, differentiation, Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) status, and v-RAF murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1 (BRAF) status were the independent factors influencing the overall survival of patients with CRC. Meanwhile, MAGE-C1 combined with clinicopathological characteristics and hotspot gene mutations could be used to evaluate the prognosis of CRC.

Conclusions: Our study shows that MAGE-C1 is differentially expressed in patients with CRC and affects the prognosis of patients. The combination of MAGE-C1, clinicopathological characteristics, and genes with clinical concern can be used to assess the prognosis of CRC.

Keywords: Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS); Melanoma antigen gene C1 (MAGE-C1); colorectal cancer (CRC); prognosis.