Aim: To investigate the correlation between PPP1R12A gene copy number and clinical outcomes of oxaliplatin-based regimen in stage III colorectal cancer (CRC).
Methods: A total of 139 paraffin-embedded tissue samples of stage III CRC patients who received oxaliplatin-based treatment after radical surgery were recruited. Genomic DNA was extracted and purified from paraffin-embedded sections. Quantitative PCR methods were used to detect the relative copy number (RCN) of PPP1R12A.
Results: Statistical analysis demonstrated that low PPP1R12A RCN was associated with poor RFS (HR = 2.186, 95% CI: 1.293-3.696; P = 0.003) and OS (HR = 2.782, 95% CI: 1.531-5.052; P < 0.001). Additionally, when patients were stratified according to subgroups of stage III and tumor location, poor RFS and OS were also observed in the low PPP1R12A RCN group with significance (RFS: IIIB HR = 2.870, P < 0.001; colon HR = 1.910, P = 0.037; OS: IIIB HR = 3.527, P < 0.001; IIIC HR = 2.662, P = 0.049; rectum HR = 4.229, P = 0.002).
Conclusion: Our findings suggest the copy number of PPP1R12A can independently predict recurrence and overall survival of stage III colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.